How to Grow Sweet Peas

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, flower plants that are this beautiful deserve a soil that perfectly suits their needs! Sweet Peas thrive in moist, well-draining, well-fertilised soil in perfect view of the sun.

Sweet pea seeds are really easy to sow and grow in your containers, pots, and flower patches! Not only that but they’re a stunning addition to the garden and carry an undeniably inviting aroma with them. So when is best to sow sweet peas?

When to sow sweet peas

You can choose to sow your sweet peas in both autumn and spring, either between October and November or January and April. If you do choose to sow them in autumn, it is important to keep them in a frost-free spot during those chilly winter months.

Sweet pea seeds tend to germinate nice and quickly - but if you feel like they need a gentle nudge, give your seeds a nick with a knife to encourage faster germination. Sow your flower seeds into a small plant pot, tray or container and leave them to grow in either a greenhouse or cold frame.

As soon as the frost has passed, it’s time to start thinking about planting out your sweet peas. You need to start by hardening off your seedlings by keeping them indoors for around two weeks to ensure they don’t experience cold shock when planted in the ground. 

When to plant sweet peas?

Sweet peas tend to take between 4 and 6 weeks to be ready for transplantation after sowing, providing that they have already developed a strong root system and look strong and sturdy enough to survive the move. But don’t worry, we’ve got some indicators to look out for: 

• Your seedlings have grown a couple of sets of leaves
• You can see well-developed roots peeking out from the drainage holes of your container.

When it comes to finally planting, you should space your seedlings about 8 inches apart, allowing for plenty of room for individual growth.

Maintaining your flowers is an important part of strengthening their growing process and extending the life of your flowers. In order to best support the growth of your sweet peas, tie any shoots that appear to be climbing to canes with twine. 

Be sure to check the moisture of your plants every 3-4 days, especially during warm, dry days. It’s important to pour enough water to reach the very tips of the roots every time.

Monitor your flowers for dead heads most days and remove them as you notice. Deadheads can limit further flowering, particularly when seedpods are allowed to develop.

When your plants reach a height of around 4 inches, you can pinch out the shoot tips of your sweet peas. If you manage to keep on top of pinching out, your plants should have no problem growing strong side branches.

In order to achieve the boldest blooms, we recommend pinching out the tendrils of your strongest shoot to encourage your plant to focus its growth on this area.

What are you waiting for? Your growing journey starts right here at Mr Fothergill’s! Shop our sweet pea seeds today and let us help get your flower garden growing.

If you have any further questions about how to grow sweet peas or have curiosities about any of our other products, don’t hesitate to contact us or take a deeper dive into our gardening blog!