Am I Taking Good Care Of My Sweet Peas?

Are your sweet peas planted in a place where they can get four to six hours of sunlight each day?

Are your sweet peas planted in well-drained soil, rich in organic matter?

Are your sweet peas spaced six to twelve inches?

Have you been watering regularly?

Did you use plenty of aged manure and compost when planting?

Did you provide support for your sweet peas if they are a climbing type?

Have you been pinching the growing tips of the plants when they were about 6 inches tall?

Are you making sure your sweet peas are pest and disease-free?

Sweet peas do best in full sun, but they won't mind a light afternoon shade. When possible, plant low-growing annuals in front of them to shade their roots.

Well-drained site is a must for growing sweet peas. Mixing in generous amounts of compost and well-rotted manure to a depth of 2 feet will improve soil fertility and drainage. Alkaline soil is the best for sweet peas. If your soil tends to be acidic sprinkle some powdered lime on the surface.

Climbing sweet peas should be spaced at least 6 inches apart, and bushy types at least one foot apart. This will prevent overcrowding.

You should keep soil always moist, but never soggy. Summer rain may be ample, but additional watering may be needed in some cases. If you put your finger into the soil bed to its first joint and the soil is dry, you should water them. Always water from below to avoid wetting the foliage, and do so in the morning. When plants become established, mulch well to keep the soil cool and moist.

If you didn't use manure and compost when you planted sweet peas, you should provide them with additional nourishment. Fertilize them with half-strength liquid fertilizer twice during the growing season. Too much fertilizer encourages an abundance of foliage at the expense of sweet pea flowers.

Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. Give them at least 6 feet of good support. Some varieties may climb to 9 or 10 feet. Sweet peas are usually grown up pea sticks, wigwams of bamboo canes, trellis, or post and netting supports.

To encourage bushy growth, pinch off the tops when plants are 6 inches tall, but not before or you’ll encourage premature side-shoot development. Pick the flowers for bouquets often and the plant will put energy into more blooms instead of going to seed. Harvest the stems when the lowest blossom is just beginning to open.

Good job! You are taking good care of your sweet peas.

The most common diseases on sweet peas are Pythium root rot, powdery mildew, rust, gray mold, and various leaf spots. Avoid overcrowding your sweet peas and maintain good watering practice to prevent these fungal diseases. Keep an eye for slugs and snails that may attack the young growth of your sweet peas.