Oh sweet pea!Won't you come to me!!!

Anybody grow sweet peas any more?
Up a couple feet,hope for flowers before the heat sets in!
Wouldn't think that now cool and in the 50's.

Try starting them in the fall like I do here .. it gets too hot too fast for them. I usually plant my in October and they did fine with no problems even with this super duper extra cold winter we had here.

X

I started mine in Feb... they grew about 6 inches then KAPUTT... so when should I start them down here in Florida??

I'd start them in late September early October. They are definitely cool weather flowers.

X

Hmm ,I think they'd freeze to death here,because we stay that cold for weeks .

This a pic from last year,but mine come back every year.

This was taken about a week ago.

According to the Winter Sow Database, Sweet Peas can be winter sown easily.

X

well I will DEFINATLY be tryin' them again!! I think they are soooo pretty!! (( and I'll need something to hide the water softner during the cold months))

Synda,does yours reseed themselves?
Or do you have some sort of perennial?

I have been told it is a perennial.

I believe this is what I have,momma planted them years ago............ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/674/

Hmm it seems to grow everywhere,some love some hate it,I guess these that I bought are some kind of hybrid,the have pastel colors if my memory serves me right,well what it said on the package!

They reseed themselves. Those in zone 6 should have no problems with winter sowing sweet peas.

X

Oh I like that !!!
I have mine planted next to the butterfly milkweed,does the butterflies like sweet pea as well?

Unfortunately, my sweet peas are over and done with .. just waiting on seed pods to ripen.

X

If you deadhead won't they continue t flower?

I don't know, but I imagine yes it would. The thing is, they do not like warm weather, so it wouldn't really extend the season for them much where I live since it's getting into the 80's here in May.

X

Yes your probably right,I guess you'd have to have a mister from well water flowing across them to keep them cooled down!LOL

What will sweet peas do if they are unsupported?
There is an ugly berm that I am trying to cover. How do
I get them just to "mound" like they do by the side of the road?
Thanks, Buttercup

Sweet Pea!
Talk to me!!!!

Still have mine...the perennial kind! You had those too...remember??

No,I tried them before but they never came back!
Yours does?
Hopefully these will!

Hmm...well the annuals don't come back...and they are the ones that smell really good. Mine come back every year...but there is no fragrance to them.
Don't you remember I made wreathes from the vines one year...and the seed pods exploded in my house??

Oh my! That could be bad! Are the perennials poisonous too like the annuals?

X

You know, X...I'm not really sure about that?? Will have to look that one up!

Yep,now I remember!!!LOL
Why do they call them sweet peas if there poison????

Don't know the answer to that one .. I've had datura pods explode on me in the greenhouse, throwing seeds everywhere and datura pods have 100s of seeds to a pod. I'm still finding old seeds and pulling up volunteers in the greenhouse. Thankfully it wasn't in the house cause I have kitties. Those are definitely toxic to small animals.

X

I sow mine in the fall but I am in a frost free climate... My sweet peas are still covered in blooms and smell delicious! I took this pic a few days ago.

Buttercup99, they are growing without support, sort of climbing between the other plants like a clematis would. I found out they are happier if I just let them go in the direction they want to, instead of forcing them to grow on a support.

Rob

Oh, and you must absolutely deadhead! If they start producing pods they'll stop blooming!

Thanks I will,if the heat doesn't bring them down.

I didn't know that rob .. I'll have to remember that for next year.

X

Ahhh Roberta....lucky you!!! I think, esp. since I went overboard a few months ago buying seeds, I'll do the fall planting thing....

I'm going to look for some more seeds and try the fall planting too!

I dutifully soaked seed in water/peroxide and planted in October. Not a single one germinated. Is there a secret?

Christi

I've never tried the peroxide route though I know a lot of people use it, especially for rooting brug cuttings.

I soak mine in hand hot water over night then plant them and forget about them. They usually start sprouting in a few weeks. Others, who soak them til they sprout say you have to change the water every day and plant when "tails" start appearing.

Some seeds have a growth inhibitor in the seed coat, like rose seeds which are very acid and what soaking does is leech away the inhibitor. It's a protective mechanism to keep seeds from sprouting at the wrong time of year.

X

These were soaked for a few days. Must have killed them. Will try again next year.

Thanks.

Christi

Christi, I've never used peroxide...next year try it "au naturel"!

Thanks Rob. I'll try to leave them alone to just
"do their thing"! Buttercup

I planted Sweet Peas in mid-March that I grew from seeds under lights. No blooms yet but they are about 2 ft tall/long. This was all interesting - I knew they disliked hot weather but did not think to sow them in the fall. Will do so this year. If it works in SC, should work for me.