Sweet peas, are loved by gardeners for their fragrant and delicate flowers. These plants are very easy to grow and growing them from seed is very rewarding. A little bit of know how, can make the process go even smoother and before you know it, your will be enjoying intoxicating fragrance, both in the garden or as a cut flower.
When to Sow Sweet Peas in the UK
One of the best times to sow Sweet Peas in the UK is the autumn. This often surprises people, but these plants may look delicate, but they are tougher than they seem. Further more, the colder weather of the autumn and winter, can aid germination and encourage your plants to flower earlier. You can also sow Sweet Pea seeds in early spring, however, the autumn is the best choice for longer flowering periods and more flowers.
The perfect position for Sweet Peas
At Newlands Nursery we always sow our Sweet Peas in pots, we find this more successful. Sowing your seeds into pots gives you more options. If the weather is going to be very cold, you can move it to a more sheltered spot, or even bring into an unheated greenhouse or shed.
Can I sow Sweet Peas straight into the ground?
Yes, they can be sown straight into the ground. If you are going to do this make sure the soil is well drained and in a sunny spot. Remember when your Sweet Peas are growing, they will need to be encouraged up a cane or trellis, so make sure you choose a spot where this is possible. When sowing directly outside it may be necessary to protect them from prolonged cold weather. Sweet Peas can tolerate a frost and even temperatures as low as -5 Celsius, however long periods of cold weather can be a problem. If this is going to happen, I would recommend using cloches, fleece or a cold frame, to protect the plants in the coldest of conditions.
What do I need to Sow Sweet Peas in pots?
You don't need anything special to sow Sweet Peas, the hardest part of the preparation will be choosing the varieties to grow. There are hundreds of varieties of Sweet Peas to choose from, we have listed a few of our favourite Sweet Peas to grow in the UK
Some of our favourite Sweet Pea varieties:
- Sweet Pea Air Warden, a highly scented pure red.
- Sweet Pea Blue Danube, a beautiful blue/lilac.
- Sweet Pea Spencer's Mix, a collection of colours which on mass look amazing.
You will need some pots; I have chosen to sow in a cell tray and will later pot up into a pot. 9cm pots can be used to sow into, but you can choose something a bit bigger if you prefer. Reusing pots from last year is ideal. Make sure that your pots have drainage holes. Sweet Pea seeds will not grow if they get too wet.
You will need some compost; this does not have to be anything special, a good quality multi purpose is ideal.
Lastly some plant labels; this is especially the case if you are growing more than one variety. Make sure they are waterproof, you will regret it if they are not!
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Sowing Sweet Peas a step by step guide
Now to get sowing, with your seeds chosen and your pots ready, it is time to sow the seeds. This guide is specially for sowing the seeds in pots, but the same technique can be used for sowing Sweet Peas in the ground.
Prepare you pots or cell tray; Fill with the compost, do not be tempted to compress the compost, you want to place the compost in, filling it almost all the way to the top. I like to keep the compost just shy of the top. This makes watering a lot easier.
Sowing the seeds; Depending on the size of your pots or cell tray, will depend on how many seeds in each. For the cell trays I use in the video, one seed per cell is ideal. For large pots (e.g. 10-15cm diameter) 2-3 seeds per pot would be ideal. Place the seed on the surface of the compost roughly in the middle. Once you have placed all of the Sweet Pea seeds on the compost, now gently push the seed under the compost. You are looking for the seed to be pushed to a depth of around 1-2cm.
Water the seeds; Water the compost gently, it is always best, when watering seeds to do a light watering at first. Then wait until the water has sunk into the compost and repeat bit by bit until the compost is nicely moist throughout. When the compost is wet enough, you will start to see water coming out of the base of the pot or cell tray.
Place the pots in the right condition; Sweet Peas Germinate their quickest around 12 degrees. This makes a windowsill, cold greenhouse, or a conservatory the ideal spot for them. When sowing in the autumn, they do not need to be watered as much as you may think. But keep an eye on the compost, we are looking to keep the compost moist but not too wet.
