Can Sweet Peas be grown in Desserts?

I have a Sweet Pea question I already posted on steph_gem thread, but I thought I'd ask it with a new subject. Which is, believe it or not, how to grow them. Over the years I've tried and tried. Never really had a good bunch of them. And I almost try them every year because I love Sweet Peas. (I had them in my wedding bouquet) I do just what they tell me on the package. Soak them the night before, and even use pea innoculant. Where I'm living right now is especally hard to grow them because our last frost date can be clear into the last week of May and then we can have really hot weather in two weeks. Then by July it's well over 100. We only get 6 inches annually. I had a few last year but they are so few and far between that it's almost not worth growing. I am going to try mulching everything allot this year, do you think that will help? What else might I be doing wrong. Oh I found out my soils PH is 7. Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe I should try the knee high variety. Pole beans don't do too well here when it get's so hot. Maybe the same is true for Sweet Peas. I have had good luck with snap peas here. Hopefully I can exchange my tall pole sweet peas for knee high ones.

These to may do ok I have never grown them myself but Im ordering them for the same reason. Very hot summers!
http://seedsavers.org/prodinfo.asp?number=999
http://seedsavers.org/prodinfo.asp?number=1336

ive never soaked them. I dont think you should give up just keep trying a few more times.

I don't soak them or use innoculant. I will say one thing about them--the batch I've been posting pics of on the other thread are doing great in that location and I tried a different variety on the east side of my house (because of less heat down here) and they have yet to bloom. Which just baffles me to pieces. The location with the pic is the same location I grow them in every year and they did great--this new location is a first for growing peas and the first time with this particular variety. So who knows? Location or variety? I would not give up either...it took me a few years to get them right.
Debbie

Hi,

I'm on the west side of the Cascades z~7-8. They can be seeded in fall, to grow where you want in Spring. Or, if you start them inside, harden them off well for a week and transplant outside in early April. Don't wait for the last frost dates around here. Sweet peas can take light frost. If you havn't started them as yet, you should do so now inside and you can still get blooms this year.

Germinate in moist paper towel: 1-3 days.
Grow inside in Jiffy pots under lights with cool temps: 2weeks (They should be ~12" by then)
Harden off: 5-7 days.
Plant out

Also, dig lots of organic material in about 16" deep where you want to plant. If you can, keep the roots cool, but the heads in the sun. They like water. Mulch is good, or shorter plants around the base to shade the roots.

Probably a good variety to try is Winter Elegance. "... are an excellent selection for climates with hot summers. They are also useful where early bloom is required."

Good Luck:
-Janine

* I've never tried to grow sweet peas in my desserts because they never last long enough for the seeds to germinate. Especially Hot Fudge Sundaes or Chocolate Pudding.

Xeramtheum

*i just couldn't resist

I plant sweet peas a good 4-5 weeks before the last frost date. I always push the season just in case, and it usually works. Peas are generally OK with a little dose of cold. Site them where they will not get the hot afternoon sun.

They definitely like cool roots. I dig an 8" trench and fill it with torn newspaper, which I then wet down, trample, and sprinkle with superphosphate. Then another layer of newspaper, wetted down, and covered with 2" soil. then sow the soaked & inoculated seeds, thickly is OK, and cover with 1" soil. When the vines are about a foot, add another 1-2" soil or mulch at the base. When they reach 4' and are ready to bloom, the roots will be discovering the superphosphate and you'll have a profusion of flowers.

I'll take a picture this year.