Growing Sweet Peas in Pots

Sweet peas are iconic cottage garden flowers and these hardy annuals make beautiful cut flowers as well. Sowed directly into the ground or pots, sweet peas can also make great cut blooms!

When planting sweet peas outdoors in fall or spring, prepare the soil by digging in lots of well-rotted compost or manure. A base dressing of Fish, Blood and Bone at planting time as well as weekly liquid plant food feedings will ensure their success.

Sunlight

Sweet peas require good soil and sunlight in order to thrive, so mix granular time release fertilizers like Osmocote into their garden beds for an early start. Sweet peas also love climbing; whether left on their own or given structure like a trellis as support. In order to prolong blooming and prevent seeds from setting seed, clip off some of the longest stems every few weeks to bring into the house; due to being short-lived cut flowers you will need to replenish your vase frequently.

Home gardens play an essential role in family food security and ecosystem services provision [35]. Domestic/family gardens often contain more species than found in nature, providing habitat for biodiversity metapopulations as well as contributing to sustainable landscapes (e.g. carbon sinks). [36]

Soil

Sweet peas need healthy soil in order to flourish, as they’re heavy feeders that thrive best in cool, well-draining areas that contain plenty of organic matter. Good soil contains microbes that decompose organic material into simpler compounds containing essential nutrients that plants absorb through roots. The relationship between microbes and plants helps ensure greater resilience against drought, pests and diseases – vital ingredients in their long-term wellbeing!

Home gardens provide many ecosystem services besides just providing flowers and vegetables, such as supporting biodiversity. Home gardening helps promote ecological restoration efforts such as maintaining or regenerating wetlands or woodlands and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere by increasing plant cover. Furthermore, gardening offers an eco-friendly alternative to commercial agriculture while serving as an income generator for households; moreover it plays an essential role in food security by giving access to products not widely available locally markets. [112]

Water

Sweet peas are heavy feeders, so to ensure optimal growth and prevent powdery mildew formation on their leaves, ensure consistent moisture throughout their growing period. This will allow them to thrive and avoid powdery mildew forming on their leaves.

For optimal results, sow sweet pea seeds indoors during autumn and overwinter them in a cold frame. Once your seedlings have emerged and formed several sets of leaves, transplant them directly into containers or your garden for transplanting.

Ideally, before planting sweet pea seedlings into the ground, prepare the site by digging in plenty of well-rotted manure or organic matter. Because sweet peas are climbing plants that need supports such as trellises, wigwams or jute netting to grow upwards and create beautiful structures, be sure to have these in place before sowing out seedlings.

Once sweet peas are well established and blooming, they should be fed weekly with high-nitrogen liquid feed such as our tomato fertiliser (we suggest our tomato feed for best results) until they begin to fade – this will extend their blooming period as well as produce larger, stronger plants.

Feed

Sweet peas have an insatiable appetite and need plenty of sustenance in order to bloom beautifully. By mixing a balanced slow-release fertiliser into your soil at planting time, granular slow release fertiliser can ensure your plants receive all the essential vitamins and nutrients throughout their growing season, preventing early depletion that leads to spindly growth or yellow leaves.

Water container grown Sweet Peas as needed using the “finger test”. Simply stick your index finger into the soil, and if an inch down feels dry it’s time to water; overwatering could lead to root rot so try not to overdo it!

Once your plants are established, feed them weekly with something high in nitrogen such as Miracle Gro. When your Sweet Peas begin flowering, switch over to liquid tomato fertilizer – this has the precise nutrients that your Sweet Peas need in order to produce stunning displays of fragrant blooms. Don’t skip this step for the best possible display.