They’ll grow more quickly and make stronger plants tied in regularly. I use at least a 30cm (1ft) wide strip of washed inland sharp sand, 5cm (2in) deep.Īs the young sweet pea plants begin to grow, tie them into the frame – don’t leave them to flop around. Plant 2 plants to each rod of a vertical support. Make sure you plant your sweet peas alongside a vertical support such as a teepee, an arch or a tunnel. Farmyard manure is good for sweet peas – it helps retain water on a freely drained soil and gently feeds these hungry plants. Once your seedlings are ready to plant out, dig plenty of organic material in the planting position. Once the roots have filled that pot, it’s time to plant them outside – do this during a mild spell in March-May. Don’t let them get pot-bound in the rootrainers, they will never be quite the same again. If you sowed them in autumn or winter, you’ll need to pot the plants up in their pairs.
If you sowed your sweet peas in spring, they can be planted directly outdoors during a mild spell in March-May. About a month from germination, check the bottom of the pot for white roots. This promotes vigorous side shoot formation, with the energy of the plant directed toward growing out, not up.Ĭheck your plants regularly and water them lightly if the surface begins to look dry. When there are three or four pairs of leaves, pinch out the leaders – just squeeze off the growing tip between your finger and thumb. An unheated greenhouse or cold frame is usually sufficient. This promotes root growth, rather than stem growth, which is exactly what you want. Once the seedlings appear, keep them cool at about 5☌ (40☏). Mice love sweet pea seeds and your whole crop may disappear in one go so keep them somewhere mouse-free or try soaking the seeds in liquid seaweed fertiliser before sowing to make them unpalatable.Ĭheck for germination every day and don’t water until you see seedlings start to come through, usually in 10-14 days. If sowing in mid-winter, germinate them on a windowsill, heated propagator or very gently heated greenhouse. If sowing in autumn or spring, sweet peas can be germinated in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Dampen the compost, then, with your finger, push each seed in 2-3cm below the surface of the compost. To sow the seed, use a peat-free, multi-purpose potting compost and sow two seeds per pot. If you sow into a short, stumpy pot, it doesn’t give the roots as much chance to grow and branch. Rootrainers or loo rolls are ideal as they provide a deep, narrow root run. Sow sweet pea seeds undercover between October and April. To aid germination you may find it helpful to leave them on some damp kitchen paper for 24 hours before sowing.
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