How to plant sweet peas. How to grow sweet peas from seeds: planting time, care, photos. Preparing and sowing seeds for seedlings

The unpretentious annual “sweet pea” is able to bring a gentle charm even to a summer cottage, even to the balcony of a city apartment. This flower is planted with seeds, which can be bought at any garden store or ordered online if you want to purchase an exclusive variety.

Sweet pea seeds are planted directly into the ground in early May. In order for the flower to bloom faster, seedlings are first grown from seeds and then sent to open ground. If you have the opportunity to take care of seedlings, then do not be lazy and grow them. Start preparing in the last ten days of March - soak dry peas in water for one day. Then wrap them in a damp cloth and wait for them to hatch. Good seeds will be ready for planting in early April. Plant seeds with small sprouts in separate 200 ml peat pots. If you take smaller ones, the roots will become very intertwined, which will affect the quality of the adult plant. Place one seed in each pot so that in the future the young plants will not be planted. Buy special soil at the store - “For seedlings”. Until the shoots appear, keep the pots warm and constantly moisten the soil. After germination, move them to a cooler place - a glassed-in balcony will do. Water regularly as the soil dries. As soon as the first pair of true leaves forms on the plant, pinch the growing point so that the flower begins to bush. Do the same with the side shoots. By the time of planting in the ground, which will be the beginning of May, several full-fledged sweet pea bushes will grow on your window. Plant them in the ground as soon as the threat of overnight frost has completely passed. If spring turns out to be protracted and planting has to be done in mid-May, then buds may appear on young plants. Be sure to tear them off so that the flower in the ground does not waste energy on their development - they will be needed for rooting.

Sweet peas require a sunny location and a well-fertilized bed. Use any organic matter: peat, humus or rotted manure. When planting young plants, make sure that the root system remains intact. To do this, carefully cut the pots lengthwise and remove the bush with an intact earthen lump. Plant in the hole at the same height as the peas grew in a peat or plastic container. Having lowered the plant into the ground, first fill the free space with soil, then compact it well and only then water it. Compliance with this rule is necessary to ensure that the roots are not washed away by water. Immediately after planting, shade the bushes with any available material, for example, lutrasil, and protect them from active sun for 2-3 days. The root system of the flower is very delicate, so it may take 7-10 days for it to take root. At this time, the transplanted bushes may not show signs of life - don’t worry, but don’t forget to water the peas. But after a week, the flower will begin to actively grow, and in just a few days long shoots with flexible tendrils will grow, and the first buds will appear.

Sweet pea is a climbing flower and needs special support. Read on the packaging how long the shoots of the variety you purchased can reach. Modern specimens of the Dutch selection grow even 2 meters in length. Depending on this, buy or make a support. Peas can be planted along a country fence made of chain-link mesh, and then it will form a continuous flowering wall. On the balcony, plant peas only of dwarf varieties, the length of which reaches only 20-30 cm. Other species may not have enough nutrients from the soil located in a hanging or floor planter.

Caring for sweet peas consists of abundant watering, loosening the soil, timely removal of dried flowers and pinching off the longest vines. If you follow these simple rules, the plant will bloom until September. Sweet peas look great in bouquets, especially since cutting them will promote the formation of new shoots and even more active flowering.

At the very beginning, we said that seeds can be planted directly into the ground. In this case, proceed in the same way as when growing seedlings, but plant the seeds immediately in a permanent place. Cover the seedlings with jars at night to prevent frost from catching them. If some of the leaves darken a little, then do not rush to dig up the peas - they can withstand slight sub-zero temperatures and will definitely fall off.

It’s easy to transform your garden plot into a real piece of paradise with the help of delicate sweet pea inflorescences. This climbing flowering plant will decorate any area, entwining various supports with a weightless carpet and spreading a pleasant, subtle aroma in the air. As the name suggests, this plant has inflorescences with a pleasant, delicate scent. In addition, thanks to the wide color palette, it is easy to choose the shade of petals to your liking.

Weaving sweet peas with delicate flowers on various supports has a number of undeniable advantages, thanks to which it has gained wide popularity among modern summer residents and has become widespread in the courtyards of private houses and garden plots. Sweet peas are quite unpretentious and are also suitable for vertical gardening on a balcony or loggia - with sufficient watering, it is easy to grow them in boxes with soil.

Some of the benefits of sweet pea include:

high decorative properties - with the help of this climbing plant it is easy to create a flowering screen on the site, decorate a nondescript wall of a house or barn, a garden pergola, a gazebo or a fence;
the unpretentiousness of this plant - it can easily tolerate autumn and spring frosts (down to -5 °C);
the ability to form a comfortable diffused shadow with its weaving on nearby supports;
low-growing varieties of sweet peas can be planted in flower beds without any supports;
higher growth rate compared to slow-growing climbing perennial vines;
long flowering period compared to many other climbing annual plants (at least three months);
sweet peas can be grown not only in open ground, they grow well on balconies - the south-eastern side of buildings is optimal for this;
This plant remains fresh when cut for quite a long time; bouquets of delicate sweet pea flowers are simply stunning.

Conditions for growing sweet peas

This crop can be grown in different climatic zones. Sweet peas thrive in open and windless places (sunny or slightly shaded), in moist and well-drained, breathable soil. This plant does not tolerate growing on heavy clay soils very well, constant waterlogging or close groundwater, and due to significant temperature changes it can drop its petals or die.

Before planting sweet peas, it is necessary to first prepare the soil, creating favorable conditions for the normal development of the root system. To do this, you should add compost, as well as phosphorus and potassium fertilizers at the usual rates, to a depth of 15-30 cm under digging. It should be noted that it is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers or fresh manure for this crop. Sufficiently fertile soil with neutral acidity is optimal for growing sweet peas. In case of increased acidity of the soil, before planting this plant, it is recommended to apply liming in advance by adding slaked lime.

Some gardeners argue that growing sweet peas is not so easy - they say, the plant is quite capricious. In fact, figuring out how to grow sweet peas is not too difficult.

To create optimal conditions for the growth of this plant, several features should be taken into account:

Growing sweet peas using seedlings is a more labor-intensive process compared to planting seeds in open ground. In addition, it is worth considering that seedlings are less frost-resistant and more capricious. The branched root system of this plant, which goes quite deep into the soil, does not always tolerate replanting well, and its thin, long stems break easily. Thus, sweet pea seedlings must be replanted together with an earthen pot;
This plant has seeds with a very dense shell, as a result of which their germination is often difficult and occurs unevenly over time. Gardeners use some tricks to speed up this process (pre-soaking, cutting or rubbing with sandpaper);
planted plants quickly stretch out and can break, so it is recommended to install supports for weaving (optimally nets) as early as possible and tie plants to them as necessary;
Sweet peas are characterized by the development of a root system that goes deep into the soil and actively absorbs moisture. As a result, for the normal development of plants it will be necessary to organize regular, abundant watering.

When to plant sweet peas

To choose suitable conditions for planting a given plant, first find out how well this particular variety tolerates cold, how to plant sweet peas, and what conditions are optimal for growing them. You should not delay the moment of planting, since the growing season of this plant is quite long. From the moment the seeds germinate until the sweet peas begin to bloom, it will take about two to three months. The sooner this happens, the sooner the plant will delight you with its flowering.

The timing of planting and caring for sweet peas must be correlated with the actual climatic conditions. In areas with a mild subtropical climate, it is allowed to plant this plant in the ground in November, in a moderate climate - in early spring (this should be done only if the soil does not freeze). When growing sweet peas from seeds this way, you should expect the plant to bloom by mid-spring.

In severe winters, sweet peas can also be planted in February, but not directly in open ground, but indoors. In this way, you can prepare the seedlings in advance for the beginning of the gardening season - for planting after the snow melts in a permanent place of growth. In temperate climates, it is recommended to soak the seeds in April-early May. At the same time, depending on current weather conditions, sweet peas can be planted in open ground from early April to early summer.

Preparing Sweet Pea Seeds

To speed up the germination of the seeds of this plant, experienced gardeners use some tricks. Some craftsmen lightly rub the seeds between layers of sandpaper, or carefully lightly cut their surface using nail scissors or a small knife. To create optimal conditions, sweet pea seeds, brown or grayish-brown in color, are soaked for several hours. Please note that light cream seeds must be planted dry, as they often die when soaked.

To germinate, place different types of seeds in separate containers and fill with warm or hot water (up to 60°C). After some time (during the day), drain the water and cover the seeds with a damp cloth, periodically adding a little water. You can also place them in moistened sand or sawdust. At temperatures of 18-23 °C, seedlings appear in approximately 6-10 days. After germination, the seeds should be sown immediately.

Planting sweet peas

As mentioned above, this plant can be grown in two ways:

from seeds planted directly in open ground;
from seedlings.

Each of these methods of growing a given crop has its own advantages and adherents. It should be borne in mind that in a temperate climate, when planting seeds directly in open ground, flowering of sweet peas will begin no earlier than the end of July. After the snow melts and when the soil has sufficiently warmed up, sweet pea seeds are sown in open ground, several at a time (2-3 seeds). To do this, you need to make holes 2-3 cm deep, located at a short distance (10-20 cm).

To grow sweet pea seedlings, you should prepare a soil mixture of turf soil with the addition of humus, peat and sand. Sufficiently deep, narrow containers (for example, 200 ml disposable plastic cups) can be used as pots for seedlings. Seeds must be planted in holes about 2 cm deep and watered. The emerging seedlings should be kept in a cool and bright place at a temperature of about 15 ° C, not forgetting about abundant watering, for two weeks - such conditions are optimal for the development of the plant’s root system and the formation of nodules that fix nitrogen from the soil. If weather conditions permit, it is convenient to place the seedlings on a glazed balcony. In addition, it can be placed on a windowsill in a cool room (in this case, at least at night, you will need to provide an influx of cold air). To stimulate plant growth, it is recommended to fertilize the seedlings a couple of times in succession. In a few weeks, the roots of the sweet peas will tightly entwine the earthen ball in the cups. After the first two leaves are formed, the growing point is pinched (the top is removed), then the same must be done with the side shoots and fertilizing is applied. Thus, the peas will begin to bush, increasing the root mass.

To plant in a permanent place of growth in open ground, it is necessary to carefully remove the earthen ball with seedlings from the pot so as not to destroy the root system of the seedling. It is convenient to do this by first cutting and removing the plastic cup.

Caring for sweet peas

During the first two to three days of being in open ground, it is advisable to shade the seedlings. As a rule, at first the planted plants freeze for several days and then begin to grow. Within a week, sweet peas can grow new ones, which are already much more powerful compared to the previously developed side shoots.

After planting in open ground, this plant requires routine care in the form of periodic weeding, loosening and not very frequent, but abundant watering. In addition, you will need to provide support for developing climbing plants - a mesh or stretched twine is suitable for these purposes. As the sweet pea shoots grow, they must be oriented in the desired direction and tied in this position. To stimulate the development of adventitious shoots of the root system, you will need to hill up the plant and apply fertilizing. To do this, the nutrient substrate must be added to the root system of young shoots.

There is also an important nuance that should be taken into account when growing sweet peas. To prolong the flowering of plants, it is necessary to cut off the emerging ovaries of the pods (faded flower stalks), since otherwise it may stop within a month. To obtain seeds, it is enough to leave a few pods on each plant.

Due to excessive soil and air moisture, this plant can be affected by various diseases - for example, powdery mildew, as well as root rot. In addition, pests in the form of snails and slugs may appear.

With careful care in compliance with the above recommendations for growing sweet peas, this plant can please gardeners with its flowering throughout the warm season - right up to the beginning of autumn frosts.

Sweet pea - photo

Growing sweet peas - video

Another plant for vertical gardening.
Gee, there's a verse :)
I plant it every year. Grows well.
I collected seeds from him, my beloved, but they became my peas with some kind of lack of color and so I bought the seeds again.
Here are my seeds in the picture on the right.
They probably smell really good. Unfortunately, after my illness, I have trouble with my sense of smell. I take the word of my guests, friends and children that it smells wonderful.

Well, now the theory.

DESCRIPTION

Title and History: The Latin word for sweet pea is Lathyrus odomtus. The word "latyrus" was first used by Theophrastus and comes from the ancient Greek name consisting of "la" - very and "thoures" - attractive. The plant was noticed more than 300 years ago by the Sicilian monk Francisco Cupani, who, while walking in the evening near the walls of his monastery located on the Mediterranean coast, caught the unusually strong aroma of this flower. Hence the second half of the name - fragrant ("odoratus"). The monk collected the seeds and sent them in 1699 to England, to his friend Robert Uvedal, a school teacher from Middlesex County. This is the main version of the history of the origin of this flower culture.

Description: Sweet pea, or sweet pea, belongs to the genus China (Lathyrus), legume family (Fabaceae). The botanical characteristics of this species were first given by the famous Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The root system of sweet peas is taprooted, highly branched, penetrating into the soil to a depth of one and a half meters.

RULES FOR GROWING SWEET PEAS

Because of their dense shell, it is better to soak pea seeds in hot water for a couple of hours before planting, and then germinate them in a damp cloth in a warm place. However, some varieties of sweet peas are particularly light in color, cream or white, and must be planted dry in open ground, as they usually die when soaked.
Choose the sunniest places for planting peas. Planted in the shade, sweet peas will bloom, but much later and the flowering will not be as abundant as in full sun.
The soil for planting needs to be fertile, moderately moist, non-acidic (pH up to 7.5).
Start gartering as early as possible, this will speed up the rate of growth. Remember to point the polka dots in the correct direction so that your wattle fence, fence or trellis is braided evenly, use twine or mesh if necessary.
Watering is required regular and abundant.
If you remove fading inflorescences in time, you will extend the flowering period of sweet peas almost until the end of September.
If everything worked out well and you liked growing sweet peas as an ornamental aromatic plant, then next year try to plant it in a new place. If this does not work, then at least replace the top layer of soil at the planting site and do not forget about regular fertilizing.

So:

In central Russia, sweet peas are grown through seedlings, for which the seeds are soaked overnight in hot water (60-80 °C) in mid-March. Then the swollen seeds are sown 2-3 pieces in peat pots filled with an earthen mixture consisting of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:0.5. Shoots appear in 4-7 days. In the phase of two or three true leaves, the seedlings are pinched, removing the growing point, as a result of which a large number of lateral shoots are formed and the plant blooms more abundantly.

REMEMBER, THAT:
Seedlings are planted in a permanent location in mid-May at a distance of 20-25 cm. For tall varieties, supports must be installed. Remember that sweet peas can be grown in one place for only a year and returned to their original place only after 4-5 years. When planting seedlings, fresh organic fertilizers (manure) should not be applied, as the plants may die from fungal diseases.

VIDEO

Ganichkina advises:)

SOURCES

The fragrant, clustered flowers of sweet peas add a whimsical touch to any garden. Sweet peas develop curly tendrils that allow them to climb fences and trellises, creating a magical atmosphere. They grow easily in many climate zones with proper preparation for the growing season. See Step 1 to learn how to grow these stunning flowers.

Steps

Part 1

Planting sweet peas with seeds

Buy sweet pea seeds. Sweet peas are usually grown from seeds. You can either start it in seed trays indoors and later transplant it into a garden bed, or plant it directly outside. Seeds can be purchased at any garden store. Look for rare varieties in online stores.

"Old-fashioned" sweet peas will produce very fragrant flowers.
Spencer varieties have bright colors but are less fragrant. You will find them in pink, purple, blue, white and red.

Determine when to start planting seeds. Sweet peas can be grown in any zone, but it is important to know the right time to get them ready. They should be planted as early as possible to develop a strong root system and survive the summer. Therefore, starting to plant seeds at the beginning of the year is usually the best decision.
- If you live in a temperate zone where the ground doesn't freeze in the winter, you can plant your seeds directly in the ground as early as November, although planting in January or February is also fine. Water it throughout the winter and sweet peas will emerge in the spring.
- If you live in an area where winters are cold, plant the seeds indoors. This way, the seedlings will be ready for planting as soon as the first frost passes. If you wait too long to plant the seeds, they won't have time to take root in the soil until summer when the weather gets hot.
Soak or cut the seeds. Sweet pea seeds have the best chance of germinating if you break the seed coat before planting. You can do this either by soaking them in a pan of water overnight, or using a tiny knife or nail scissors to cut the surface of each seed.
- If you soaked seeds, plant only those that swelled during the overnight soak. Discard those that have not changed in size.
Sow the seeds in seed growing medium. About 5 weeks before the last frost (usually mid-February or so), prepare small seed trays or peat containers with seed starting mixture. Sow the seeds 3 cm deep and 8 cm apart, or in separate compartments.

Keep them warm and moist. Water the seed trays and cover them lightly with plastic wrap for the first week to regulate the temperature. Keep them in a greenhouse or in a sunny window in a room where the temperature will not drop below 20°C. Once the seedlings have sprouted, remove the film and keep them moist and warm until it is time to plant them just after the last frost.
- If you are using seed trays, thin out the seedlings to 14cm apart as soon as they sprout leaves.
- Pick flowers and buds before transplanting so that the seedlings' energy is directed into the new growing roots.
Part 2
Planting sweet peas
1. Choose a sunny spot in your yard or garden. Sweet peas of all varieties grow well in sunny areas, making them an excellent choice for exposed areas of fences and walls. In the heat of summer, sweet peas grow well in partial shade, but it's best to find somewhere sunny on the safe side. Since sweet peas climb, find a place where they can grow towards the sky. It produces small tendrils that will cover any type of post if you plant it nearby.
  - Sweet peas make great natural decorations for fences. If you have a wood or chain link fence that you want to decorate, plant sweet peas there.
  - Sweet peas are often grown on trellises or arches. This is another great choice and will also give your garden a country cottage look.
  - If you don't have a suitable place for sweet peas, place some bamboo stakes in the garden and plant the sweet peas there. This will add some height and beauty to your garden. Alternatively, you can create a tower of posts in a pot or small gazebo.
  - You can plant sweet peas among other plants such as shrubs or vegetables.
2. Enrich the soil. Sweet peas grow best in fertile, well-drained soil. Prepare the soil for planting by tilling it to a depth of 15 cm and fertilizing it with compost or manure. This is especially important if your soil is heavy and clayey; you will need to put down extra compost to make sure the soil absorbs water well enough for the sweet pea roots.
  - To determine whether the soil is draining well enough, observe it after heavy rain. If water collects and puddles take a long time to dry out, the soil there is not well-drained. If the water is absorbed immediately, it is good for the seedlings.
  - Using raised beds is a good option if you think your soil is too clayey and heavy for growing seedlings. They will also come in handy for other plants you want to grow.
3. Plant sweet peas in early spring. Whether you'll be starting seeds inside and transplanting seedlings, or you want to plant seeds directly into your garden bed, early spring is a good time to do so. If you live in a warm place where the ground never freezes, you can plant them in January or February. If you live in an area where the ground freezes, wait until the first frost has passed and plant in early to mid-April.
  
  Dig holes for the sweet peas. If you are transplanting seedlings, dig holes 6 inches apart and deep enough to set the seedlings with their root ball in the ground. Lightly pat the fresh soil around the stems of the seedlings. For seeds that you plant directly into the ground, dig holes 3 cm deep and 8 cm apart. Once they have sprouted, you need to thin them out so they are 6 inches apart so each plant has enough room to grow.
  
  Water the sweet peas. Finish by giving the plants a good dose of fresh water. Sweet peas will begin to grow quickly as soon as warm weather arrives.
Part 3
Caring for sweet peas

My task for the spring was to plant a climbing plant that would completely decorate the inconspicuous building. After some hesitation, the choice fell on sweet peas. Despite all the fears, the seeds quickly sprouted, and I managed to plant young plants on my site.

Caring for and growing this plant is not too easy, but I wouldn’t call it difficult either. The main condition remains attention to the flower and proper care, in accordance with all the rules.

This climbing flower will quickly entwine any support it comes across, forming a weightless carpet, the aroma of which will spread throughout the entire territory of the site. The variety of shades of inflorescences gives a wide choice for creating a beautiful flower garden.

Sweet peas gained their popularity thanks to their delicate, one might even say fragile, flowers and beautiful weaving. In many private houses you can find this particular plant in gazebos, and it is not surprising, because the vine has a number of advantages.

This plant is so unpretentious that it can be grown on the balcony, and the flower will even trail along the loggia. If you maintain normal watering, a decent plant can grow in ordinary boxes with soil. If we talk about the positive qualities of sweet peas, it is worth noting the following:

Excellent decorative properties, the liana can create an amazing screen on your site and turn a nondescript wall into a magnificent facade;
With the help of a vine you can make a good shadow in the desired place on your site;
If you have chosen a low-growing variety of sweet peas, then you can plant it in a flowerbed without resorting to support;
This plant has a faster growth rate compared to other types of climbing plants and vines;
You can admire the flowering for a long period;
Growing is possible not only in the garden, but also on the balcony;
After cutting, the plant is stored for a long time; bouquets last in vases for quite a long time.

Growing conditions

This crop tolerates almost all climatic zones, so it is grown in all corners of our country. Choose a site for planting sweet peas with good lighting; it’s okay if there is partial shade, the main thing is that the winds do not damage the delicate flowers.

The soil is well suited if it is moist, easily permeable and light. The plant will not tolerate heavy clay soils, as well as close groundwater and strong accumulation of moisture. When the temperature fluctuates sharply, sweet peas usually drop all their foliage, and in some cases die altogether.

Before planting, the soil must be prepared. Normal conditions must be maintained for the root system of sweet peas. When digging, add potassium and phosphorus fertilizers and compost to the soil to a depth of 30 cm.

Remember that this crop does not tolerate fertilizers in the form of fresh manure or nitrogen. The soil for the vine must be fertile and have neutral acidity.

You can hear the opinion from gardeners that sweet peas are a capricious plant and growing them is not an easy task. In reality, figuring out planting and growing this plant is not so difficult.

So that growing sweet peas does not bring you great difficulties, you need to take into account some features, namely:

Growing a liana with seedlings is more difficult than simply sowing its seeds in open ground. Do not forget that the seedlings of this plant are very capricious and absolutely cannot tolerate cold. The root system goes deep into the soil, so it is sure to be injured during replanting, and it’s also not easy not to break the thin stems. For these reasons, sweet pea seedlings are planted in the ground along with containers;
Sweet pea seeds have a thick skin, which is why they germinate with difficulty and not at the same time. Experienced gardeners know many tricks to speed up the germination process. Usually the seeds are pre-soaked, scored or rubbed with sandpaper;
Young plants grow tall very quickly, so they need to be tied to a support as early as possible;
The liana needs to be watered regularly and abundantly, since its root system lies deep and absorbs moisture in large volumes.

More details about this plant culture in the video:

Planting sweet peas

Sowing of seeds should be done in March. Don’t forget to prepare the seeds before planting, because they have a hard time germinating. After any of the preparations, the seeds can be placed in damp gauze, sawdust or sand, where they will germinate. In this state, the seeds will stay for about 3 days at a temperature of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius.

When you notice that the seeds have begun to hatch, they must immediately be planted in the ground. It is better to use a ready-made rose soil mixture. Regardless of the choice of soil, any of them must be disinfected with a strong solution of manganese.

A glass or small pots are usually used for sowing seeds. Sowing occurs only in moist soil. Place several seeds in one container to a depth of about 3 cm.

If the seeds are germinated in a common container, then you need to keep 8 cm of free space between them. After planting and watering the seeds, they must be covered with polyethylene or glass. Place the finished pots in a warm, well-lit place.