When Sweet Peas were introduced in England from Sicily over 300 years ago, the first blooms were small, highly fragrant and grew well in the warm summer sun. Since then, flower growers have selected and bred their favorites for different characteristics. They got larger flowers on longer stems for cut flowers and exhibition. Today we find that sometimes scent has been lost in the quest for larger flowers. Fragrance seems to be related to colour with the lavender and light pink flowers the most fragrant and the scarlet shades the least fragrant. Here on the West Coast, our usual cool summer weather allows us to grow all the types and enjoy more fragrance than in hot summer areas.
Flowering is triggered by day length. Mammoth Series flowers when the days are 10 hours long, (from sunrise to sunset) whereas Late Spencer varieties start flowering when the days are 12-15 hours long. All sweet peas perform best in cool summer areas, but the Old Spice Series and Perfume Delight have more tolerance for heat. (Family: Pea, Fabaceae)
GROWING SWEET PEAS:
TIMING: Plant March-May. On the Coast try planting in Nov (especially Winter Elegance and Mammoth) for earliest blooms. Sweet peas grow best when temperatures are between 20°-27°C (70-80°F). Above 30°C (85°F) they have difficulty.
PLANTING: Soak seeds in water for 2-4 hours and/or rub them with sandpaper. Or "pre-sprout" by putting them between sheets of damp paper towels until you see the seed swell, then plant them. For earliest bloom, or in hot summer areas plant inside in small pots with 3 or 4 seeds per pot. Transplant the little clumps 30cm (12") apart. Outdoors start in March or April where they are to flower and thin to 4" apart. Best soil temperature for germination is between 12-18°C (55-65°F). They should germinate in 10-20 days. When the plants are 10cm (4") tall pinch out the growing point to encourage branching. Using inoculant will help them grow without a lot of nitrogen fertilizer.
SOIL: Sweet peas appreciate moist, rich soil in a sunny place and need to be kept watered. For best results prepare the soil by adding lime, digging deeply and enriching with compost or manure. Most climb, so give them netting or a fence. If planting against a wall, be sure that the netting is not right against the wall to give good air circulation and allow you to reach in to pick the flowers.
KEEP THEM CUT: In order to keep sweet peas blooming, you must cut them regularly (every couple of days) and remove any seed pods that form. For longest lasting bouquets cut them when it is cool-in the morning or late evening.
|
|
