They are also quick to go to seed if they become dry, so a regular soak is essential. Then harvest. How to grow sweet peas for exhibition. The scent of sweet peas has unfathomable depths of gentle sensuousness. Alternatively, plant sweet peas out in large containers on the patio. Get involved. It was also decreed that the seeds needed nicking with a knife, but this is not so. For maximum sunlight exposure have the trellis running in a north-south direction. Put your support frame into position before you start planting. By 1900, Eckford had raised no fewer than 115 varieties. To keep the plants flowering as long as possible, you must keep picking them, because they quickly go to seed as the weather warms up. As an adult, I trained at Writtle College where I received my degree, BSc. Hi Monty Don has repeatedly said both on gw and in various writings to pick sweet peas every 10 days for long season, so when the first flowers appeared I dutifully took a note to start picking in 10 days time and this is 2nd time I've done it, my question is what exactly does he mean by each one? Peas should be just about ready for harvest 3 weeks after the flowers appear. Both are bi-coloured, as is 'Painted Lady', a pink and white variety. Water well during dry weather spells. This cottage garden classic is colourful, fragrant and easy to grow. During flowering time, the addition of tomato food, will help prolong the blooms. Regular picking, together with generous provision of food and water, will give a prolonged and colourful display. Beyond that my only sweet pea specific rule is to pick them, pick them, pick them. Sow seeds at right depth (usually 1/2 to 1-inch). If one does not germinate, I do not replace them. A useful tip for growing sweet peas, is to pinch out the first shoot. Sweet Peas like a rich well fertilised soil. The sweetly scented flowers of sweet peas come in a variety of colors ranging from pure white to bright magenta. The other common problem that you’d come across while growing sweet peas is how easily the plants become parched. Heavy clay or structure-less sandy soil can be made suitable by the addition of ample organic matter. Very few new varieties were raised until Henry Eckford, the head gardener at Sandywell in Gloucestershire, virtually invented grandiflora sweet peas at the end of the 19th century. On the other hand, if you wait too long, the brittle seed pods will break open and drop their seeds to the ground. Sweet pea plants need supports to climb – use bamboo sticks or trellises. Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. One strong plant will produce as many flowers as half a dozen weak ones all competing for nutrients. (Hons) Horticulture. This is a result of the obsessive breeding and showing of sweet peas in the last 100 years or so. Place them in a bright position and keep an eye out for slugs as they love the young, new shoots. I was honoured and rather excited, and one of the final things I filmed for Gardeners' World last spring was the sowing of some of the seeds, along with other sweet pea varieties 'Alan Titchmarsh', 'Percy Thrower' and 'Geoff Hamilton'. If you harvest the sweet pea seedpods before they are completely mature, they won’t germinate. However, when you buy sweet peas from a garden centre there might be as many as a dozen in a pot and all of them weedy, pathetic plants, so it is a good idea to thin them out dramatically to give them a chance. Sweet Peas are traditionally sown on St Patricks Day (17 March) however can be sown later in autumn in many areas around Australia. You can soak them overnight or weaken the hard shell of the seed with a nail file before sowing, but … Sow your sweet peas seeds anytime from October until March, two seeds to a pot. 5. Lay the kitchen roll in a sealed container and place it in a warm room.

But however they look or smell, all sweet peas are grown in the same way. The upshot of this coincidence was that the cross between Unwin's wavy sweet pea 'Gladys Unwin' and 'Countess Spencer' produced the Spencer sweet peas. For the record, the elusive 'Monty Don' is a grandiflora. Sweet peas are long flowering and provide colour, scent and flowers to pick for months. Plant them about 1cm deep, cover with compost and water them well. For a quick 'how to sow, plant and grow sweet peas' tutorial, check out this video for some top tips: If you love having fresh cut flowers to add colour and fragrance to your home, then sweet peas are the plants for you. They’re divided into two groups: grandiflora and Spencer types. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Keep an eye on your plants as they start to gallop away and keep tying them in as they grow. Since sweet peas love to climb, find a spot where they can grow toward the sky. The best tasting peas are young, sweet, and tender. As they grow, trim tendrils regularly, or they'll choke the flowers. I grow flowers for delight, not acclaim. Spray the sweet peas liberally every morning or when you see the pests making nests in the perennials. For an expert, the distinction is in the ‘keel’ petals (the lowest two petals) – grandiflora types have a ‘clamped’ keel, while Spencer types don’t. Sow seeds at the right time. Sweet Peas will grow in any soil, but will perform best in a rich and friable loam. *Your 20% discount only applies to plants, bulbs and seeds.© 2020 Thompson & Morgan. Put your wigwam frame in a bright position where you'll have easy access to flowers. The best way to tell when peas are ready is to pick and taste each day until they are just right. You’ll need to do this every 7-10 days through the entire growing season. Some gardeners sow their seeds in toilet rolls to create a deep, narrow root run. Growing and planting Sweet Peas Is Easy and they are excellent cut flowers, the more you pick the more they’ll grow. This is easy to do. Throughout the season you’ll need to keep your flowers well watered, as dry soil makes them go to seed quicker. Beware of invasive perennial sweet peas. If you want the sweet peas to be at their best you need to pick all the blooms every eight to ten days. Sweet peas are not difficult to grow but will punish you if you neglect them. Harvesting sweet pea seeds is as simple as letting the pods mature on the vine until they’re ready to pick, letting them dry out, and storing. For Sweet peas to look good on the plant, and in the vase, Sweet Peas need to have straight stems. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Sweet peas are annuals, which mean they germinate, grow, flower, set seed and die all in one year and so have to be re-grown each year. Both are bi-coloured, as is 'Painted Lady', a pink and white variety. Or pick some for the vase – even a small amount can fill a room with fragrance. Prize sweet pea growing is about a search for perfection and the desire to be acknowledged as supreme by your peers, but this is not really gardening. So I make it a point to try to cut sweet peas every couple days when they are in flower. When harvesting peas of any variety, take great care when picking the pods from the vine. And the more shoots there are, the more flowers the plant will produce! A division of BVG Group Ltd. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Vegetable Seeds. Plant at least 4-inches apart. There are so many gorgeous blooms – it’s the perfect time to pick these fragrant flowers. Pick blooms regularly to promote further flowering. Snow peas are ready about five to seven days after the bloom emerges. Sweet peas are lovely with a powerful scent and a wide range of colours. I can remember helping my Dad to prick out seedlings, even before I could see over the top of the potting bench. It may take a few tries to really get the hang of picking peas, but it won’t take long before you are a pea picking pro. There is something nostalgic about sweetpeas. Harvesting peas is a simple process. How to grow sweet peas at home. Sweet peas prefer cool days and nights and will start to fade when temperatures go above 65°F. Sweet peas just keep going if you don’t let them set seed, but if you let even a few flowers to seed the whole plant gets sulky, as though it decides its job is done. Much like with fresh sweet corn, you'll get the best flavor if you have the cooking water boiling when you harvest, or have the meal almost ready and eat the peas right away. This happened simultaneously in the three gardens of Eckford, at Unwin's - then a cut-flower nursery outside Cambridge - and at Althorp, where Earl Spencer's head gardener identified it and showed it as 'Countess Spencer'. I have consistently found they have a high rate of germination if you sow them in a pot or root trainer (all legumes have long roots and need some depth of soil to grow into), soak the container in a basin of water for ten minutes so that it absorbs plenty of water, and then keep the seeds moist (but not sodden) with the soil at 6 degrees C. I sow three or four to a three-inch pot, and will eventually plant them out, supported by a wigwam. It is one of those delicate yet persuasive fragrances the garden produces that is more enticing and seductive than any man-made perfume. My mother always grew sweet peas and I remember the varieties to this day: ‘Leamington’, lavender blue, ‘Air Warden’, scarlet, ‘Elizabeth Taylor’, burgundy and ‘Mrs R. Bolton’, pink. Growing sweet peas from seed couldn't be easier. Simply nip off the top of the stem with your fingers, just above a set of leaves. Share your tips and secrets in the comments section below! The original sweet pea, introduced to this country at the end of the 1600s, is likely to have been a magenta and purple bicolour, now called 'Cupani' or 'Cupani's Original'. The peas will need tying in every week or so for the first few months, but will support themselves once they get growing strongly. Begin saving seeds from sweet peas after the shells turn brown and brittle. Aim to plant each group about 15cm apart. Other than these, it is best to hunt out the grandifloras that Eckford developed, which will make up most of any so-called old-fashioned mix of sweet pea seeds. The best for that perfect sweet pea fragrance is the original 'Cupani's' or 'Matucana'. In 1901, one of them, 'Prima Donna', sported a flower with greater size and a distinct wave to the upright bit of the flower (the 'standard'). Place 2 or 3 seedlings in each hole for a nice, full display. The more you pick, usually, the more your plants will produce. If you've purchased ready-to-go sweet pea seedlings from us, read on to the Planting out Sweet Peas section ... How to sow sweet peas. As soon as the soil can be worked in the late winter or early spring, get ready to plant the seeds. I have never seen it in flower, so cannot tell you what it is like, other than it should be a deep maroon with a hint of pink and, above all, it should be flushed with that unique sweet pea fragrance. We grow them both for their beauty in the garden, but also to pick and bring indoors. As with all peas, Sweet Peas don't like an acid soil, so if you have a pH under 7 it would be … By Monty Don for MailOnline Updated: 17:00 EST, 7 August 2009. You can sow your sweet pea seeds in March but growing sweet peas over winter will produce stronger, more robust plants. Yates has two new sweet peas – Pink Diana and May Gibbs Sweet Pea Fairy – in its range this autumn. And that is the last I have heard of it. To get the best from them it is advisable to treat them like climbing beans - that is, to dig a pit and fill it with good manure or compost. Once the peas inside become larger, the pod will be tighter, rounder and have a more fibrous texture. Use a good quality compost and sow several sweet pea seeds to a pot. Early spring is best. Cold and moist storage is a challenge to create. You can sow them into pots of compost in autumn and overwinter the young plants in a cold frame or cool greenhouse. This helps get them off to a quicker start but isn't essential as your seeds will still germinate well in moist soil. Then be sure that you don’t try to pick peas like you do beans. Store peas cold and moist, 32°-40°F (0°-4°C) and 95 percent relative humidity. Sweet peas are not difficult to grow, but … Caption: The more you pick sweet peas, the more flowers you get. Feeding Sweet Peas. After working in a specialist plantsman's nursery, and later, as a consulting arboriculturalist, I joined Thompson & Morgan in 2008. Horticultural convention has it that you should sow sweet peas in autumn, but although this will give you earlier flowers, it means storing and protecting the plants over winter. If you want the sweet peas to be at their best you need to pick all the blooms every eight to ten days. This is a terrible shame. Plant sweet pea seeds in autumn or spring. At this stage, the pods and peas will also lose much of their sweetness. Once your sweet pea plants are in full flower make sure that you dead-head them and remove seed pods as soon as possible to encourage more blooms to be produced. Keep tying in sweet peas and pick, pick, pick. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Pea pods are a little sturdier than beans. Give them at least 6 feet of good support. Advertisement. Annuals last for one season and everlasting perennial varieties return year after year, but are much less fragrant. In climates with mild winters where the ground doesn’t freeze, you can actually plant the seeds in October or November to have early spring flowers. This is because sweet peas flower from additional shoots. Refrigerators provide the cold, but they also dry the air. But wherever you decide to plant them, you’ll need to provide a suitable support as sweet peas are climbers. Shelling peas are ready when the pods have swelled and are nearly cylindrical shape. The best for that perfect sweet pea fragrance is the original 'Cupani's' or 'Matucana'. Growing a row of sweet peas for cut flowers at an allotment. Once your sweet peas begin to flower, pick the regularly to encourage more flowers, and keep pinching and trimming those tendrils. Discover lathyrus. For the rest of us the difference is … There are two types of sweet pea. It obviously does not stop them being beautiful flowers, but, to me, they are incomplete, like beautifully served food with no flavour. Tying in your flowers will produce straight stems for cutting. The 'sweet' in the name refers to the peas' odour rather than taste; note the Latin name, Lathyrus odoratus. If sowing sweet pea seeds seems like too much effort you could always get a head start by ordering sweet pea plug plants. Sweet peas have deep roots, so sow them singly in Rootrainers (see below) or several in one large, deep pot, using seed compost mixed with multi-purpose. You need to pick your peas as frequently as possible as they mature. Sweet peas perform best if their roots are forced to grow in a deep, narrow channel so choose a tall pot to give them a strong start. Discover lathyrus. A couple of years ago a sweet pea was named after me. Turn each pot out and gently separate the plants. So unless you have a cold frame or greenhouse, spring - around mid-February - is a safer bet. To this day, sweet peas inspire an almost maniacal competitiveness in certain male gardeners - and it is always male, I am afraid. In the heat of summer, sweet peas will do fine in partial shade, but it's better to find someplace sunny to be on the safe side. As your seedlings grow they’ll start to become tall and leggy. Have you ever collected sweet pea seeds? Sweet Peas are one of the most popular cottage garden flowers, prized for their beautiful blooms and gorgeous scent. During the hot months, the soil goes dry quickly and this causes the sweet peas … In April, once your sweet peas are growing well and the main risk of frost has passed, you can pop them outside to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions for a week or so before planting them in their final position.Plant your sweet peas out in a bright sunny spot in the garden that’s easily accessible for regular picking. Late frosts are the enemy when it comes to planting out - mid-April is a good general rule of thumb, as long as the plants have been well and truly hardened off: give them at least a fortnight outside in their pots, and be prepared to cover them with fleece if there is a cold snap. Sweet peas work well here, attracting bees and other pollinators needed for the vegetables. Ideal for cut flowers, the more you pick the more they grow. If any pods are allowed to form, this sends a signal to the plant that stops it flowering. As you do so, remove any seed pods that appear, because the plant will channel more energy into seeds than making new flowers. Check a few of the biggest pods randomly to see if they are the size you want. When in doubt, it's better to pick snow peas too early rather than too late. When you are picking peas for the pea seeds, pods should be plump and have a swollen appearance. These have larger flowers and a much wider range of colours but, crucially, retain their fragrance. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Sweet peas love a rich, moist soil so dig a couple of buckets of compost into the planting area beforehand to enrich the soil and hold moisture during dry weather. How to Harvest and Store Your Peas. When to pick peas is determined by what you want from the pea. Or, you can wait until spring when you can sow into pots or directly into the ground.To prepare the seeds, leave them on moist kitchen roll until they swell or sprout. they form an impressive column of fragrant, summer colour in beds and borders.. Some varieties may climb to 9 or 10 feet. All rights reserved. Pinching Out Sweet Peas. And remember to check out our complete guide to growing sweet peas here. Once the sweet peas begin flowering, pick them as much as you like. For the chance to be featured, share your plant pictures with uson Instagram by using the hashtag #YourTMGarden. Sweet peas climb by twining their tendrils around the support frame, but it’s helpful to guide them using sweet pea support rings. About Sweet Peas. When plants are 10cm tall, pinch out the tips to encourage bushy growth. The former is a long-stemmed, fragrant pink and the latter a ground-covering, pink and white bicolour. Prep the seeds before sowing either by nicking the coat or soaking in water. [11] Good scented whites are 'Dorothy Eckford', 'Royal Wedding' and the ivory 'Cream Southbourne'. 6. Encourage them to produce side shoots by pinching out the tips of the plant. Sweet pea plants are annual climbers and need support to thrive. Grow annual sweet peas. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Trained onto a wigwam-shaped plant support. Quick facts. Encouraging them to grow vertically up the frame will give you straighter stems for cut flowers. This will make each plant much bushier and more robust. Harvest snow peas once the peas get to the size of a B-B. Pick them early and often to help promote more flowering. In general, I like the richer colours such as 'Purple Prince', 'Black Knight' and 'Midnight', as well as the red 'Gypsy Queen', 'Violet Queen', the bright orange 'Henry Eckford', or the magenta 'Annie B. Gilroy'. Next, we will go over how to pick peas. Religiously pick your sweet peas every other day and always remove any seed pods – this keeps them in flower. Everything you need to know about choosing the right sweet pea or perennial pea for you. But before I get too carried away on this hobbyhorse, it has to be admitted that the choice of fragrant sweet peas is much more limited than the scores of sumptuous scent-free varieties. They are inclined to sit rather sullenly when first planted out and are susceptible to slugs, so keep an eye on them, and make sure that they are well watered. You can create little Sweet Pea tepees in the backyard which is a delight for kids. They’re ideal for cutting as the more blooms you harvest, the more they grow. If you prefer edible hulls with developed seeds, allow more time before picking peas. 'Painted Lady' was one of the first bred varieties, being recognised as such as long ago as 1726, and it is still one of the best. Whether raising sweetly-scented annual sweet peas or cultivating perennial peas, this page will help you get started. Sweet peas look lovely in the garden but, for me, they are as important as a cut flower - a lovely bunch of sweet peas can fill a room with a delicate but intoxicating presence. Pick a morning sun growing location with rich soil and good drainage. These have long stems and large flowers, which make them ideal for showing. Plant sweet peas near a seating area so you can smell them as you sit and relax in the garden. Read our handy guide on how & when to sow Sweet Peas from seed below. However, most sweet peas grown today do not have any fragrance at all. Sweet peas of all varieties thrive in sunny areas, making them a great choice for exposed sections of fence and walls. Initially looking after the grounds and coordinating the plant trials, I now support the web team offering horticultural advice online. Once seed pods form they will think their life’s work is done and will stop flowering, so the more you pick, they more they’ll flower. Plants and gardens have always been a big part of my life. Sweet peas will do best if they get an early start. Eat peas as soon after picking as possible; the sugar that makes peas sweet begins turning to starch right after picking.