Sweet pea- an annual plant, revered by many gardeners for its unusual and bright bloom, delicate aroma. In addition, buds on sweet peas appear almost all summer, and therefore the lawn will delight the eye during all three warm months. And the flowers of the plant have a great variety of shades, and therefore, among the varieties of the fragrant town, everyone can choose to suit their taste. In addition, the advantages of the plant include relative frost resistance (up to - 5⁰ C). Regarding how to grow sweet peas, the most the best option is considered to be planting seeds. This is exactly what we will talk about.
Growing sweet peas from seeds: preparation
Get ready seed material needed already in the spring: late March - early April. Since the skin of the seeds is quite dense, they should first be placed in a glass, pour hot water temperature is approximately 50-60 degrees and leave it like that for a day. Any floating seeds must be removed immediately. After this, before planting sweet peas, the seeds must be washed with water. room temperature and place in a moist environment for germination. This could be a scarf, sawdust or sand, which should always be wet.
When the seed germinates, it should be planted in a separate container. These can be small pots or paper cups, where good nutritious soil is first placed. The seeds need to be deepened only two to three centimeters. You can plant one or several pieces. To effectively grow sweet peas from seeds, containers with seeds should be placed in a well-lit, warm place and systematically, not forgetting to water carefully. The first shoots can be expected in 1.5 - 2 weeks. We recommend pinching the top to stimulate the growth of side shoots when the seedlings have their first three leaves.
Sweet peas: planting and care
Landing at open ground Sweet pea seedlings can be planted as early as May. Before planting, it is advisable to harden the seedlings by taking them to open balcony first for one hour, and then gradually increase the residence time.
Sweet peas grow well in areas where there are no drafts exposed to solar lighting. However, it tolerates slight shading quite calmly. The soil for the plant is neutral, fertile, with good drainage properties. Plant the plants together with a ball of earth at a distance of 25 cm from each other. When the sweet peas reach 20 cm in height, they need to be tied to a support. This is necessary so that the climbing stems do not spread along the ground and do not get tangled with each other. With the help of support, the plants will begin to curl upward and subsequently form a beautiful one. However, for dwarf varieties sweet peas, which grow up to 30 cm, do not need this.
In general, growing sweet peas cannot be called easy. 
process. The plant requires careful care and attention. It is important to water the flower systematically and in sufficient quantities - every 1.5-2 weeks. Otherwise, if there is a lack of moisture, the buds become smaller or are dropped altogether, and flowering stops. Sweet peas need liquid feeding twice - in mid-June and mid-July.
For long and abundant flowering of sweet peas experienced gardeners use some tricks. Firstly, you need to carry out pinching, and secondly, cut off the faded branches, leaving a few pods with seeds. If these conditions are met, sweet peas will bloom until frost.
Turn your garden plot into a real one paradise easy 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.
Sweet peas with delicate flowers weaving on various supports have a number of undeniable advantages, thanks to which they have gained wide popularity among modern summer residents and have become widespread in the courtyards of private houses and on garden plots. Sweet peas are quite unpretentious and are also suitable for vertical gardening balcony or loggia - with sufficient watering It is easy to grow 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, garden pergola, gazebo or 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 soils very well. clay soils, constant waterlogging or close proximity groundwater, due to significant temperature changes, it can shed its petals or die.
Before planting sweet peas, you need to first prepare the soil by creating favorable conditions for 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. When increased acidity 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.
For creating 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 the conditions suitable 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 in indoors. In this way, you can prepare seedlings in advance for the beginning of the gardening season - for planting after the snow melts on permanent place 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 sandpaper, or carefully slightly 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.
For germination, place different varieties seeds into 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 taken into account that in 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 soil mixture from 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 allowed weather, it is convenient to place the seedlings on a glassed-in 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. After a few weeks, the roots of the sweet peas will be tightly entwined in the cups. earthen lump. 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 it. root system 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 needs normal care in the form of periodic weeding, loosening and not very frequent, but abundant watering. In addition, it will be necessary to provide support for developing climbing plants– a mesh or stretched twine is suitable for these purposes. As sweet pea shoots grow, they need to be oriented towards in the right direction, and tie it 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 and 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
Sweet peas, as sweet peas are more often called, are grown in garden plots for vertical gardening and for decoration. summer gazebos and terraces and just for fun. This article tells you what rules you should follow when planning to start growing a flower.
Description of the flower with photo
For the first time, it was in 1696 in Italy, sweet peas were discovered by the botanist Kupani. From there it was brought to England, and over 300 years of breeding, specialists managed to develop more than 1,000 varieties of fragrant china.
A special feature of peas is that their strong shoots can reach two or more meters. Cleverly clinging to the supports with their tendrils, the stems stretch upward, creating a picturesque vertical carpet. Pea flowers are collected in inflorescences that bloom one after another, and this makes flowering constant.
The flower itself is very similar to a sailing boat with oars. By the way, individual parts of the flower are called exactly that: sail, oars, boat.
However, the liana-like plant has a dwarf form, the height of which is about 30 cm. Such a flower does not need support.
Sweet peas bloom two months after germination and continue to delight the gardener with the brightness of the inflorescences throughout the warm season.
After the petals wither, a fruit is formed, which is a bivalve bean. It contains up to 10 peas of beige or dark brown color. If you leave the first pods on the plant, they will have time to ripen, and this will make it possible to get your own seeds.
IN garden culture Sweet peas come in two varieties and can be grown in annual crop, and there are perennial varieties. Both species are grown from seed and produce strong, ribbed shoots. The ability to cling to everything that comes your way requires mandatory support. Therefore, flower planting should be done:
- next to walls that you want to give a decorative look.
- along fences that will look like hedges.
- The open gazebo will be hidden from the hot rays of the sun by tall shoots of fragrant chin.
Perennial sweet peas are not rich in color. More often it is pink or purple flowers, collected in a brush. Many strong vines reach two meters and require strong mesh support so that the plant can grow and develop freely.
The annual tree has a much more interesting color palette. The flowers of this species can be white and blue, pink red, burgundy and blue. Annuals exude a more delicate aroma compared to perennials.
Sweet peas bloom from June until the onset of cold weather. Prefers open sunny places with fertile soil and a neutral reaction to acidity.
The stems should not be allowed to lie down as this will lead to disease and rotting.
Group of varieties "Spencer"
Variety "Sir Charles" All types of fragrant chyna are divided, in turn, into groups. Among the tall varieties, the Spencer group can be distinguished. This is a multi-stemmed plant with a shoot length close to 2.5 m. Peduncles are strong and consist of 3-5 flowers. The petal itself, or as it is called, the sail, has a wavy upper edge.
- The Aristocrat variety has a deep sweetish aroma exuded by charming white and pink flowers.
- "Sir Arthur" will decorate the garden with soft lilac sails
- "Sir Charles" - scarlet.
"Cusburston" The varieties included in the "Kazburston" group are distinguished by their multi-flowered nature. There are up to 8 pieces in a brush. The stems of the plant are long, which makes it popular in garden design. Plus, it looks amazing when cut.
On a note. It should be remembered that bouquets of sweet peas are best formed after all the buds in the cluster have bloomed. This is due to the property of the flower “not to spread its sails” when cut.
"Royal" The “Royal” group consists of early flowering varieties. They have large flowers, and the color of the upper petal can be delicate (white, pink) or rich (bright red, lavender blue).
Low-growing varieties, also known as dwarf varieties, are also divided into groups.
Group "Bijou"
"Bijou" "Bijou." Plants of this group are distinguished by large flowers and bright colors. The height of the bush is about 30 cm, the flowering is abundant.
Group "Pink Cupid"
"Pink Cupid" Peas from the Pink Cupid group are characterized by a wavy edge of the upper petal. Its color can be white or soft pastel colors, blue-lilac or pale blue, pink or red. The height of the flower does not exceed 30 cm.
Flowers from both groups described above can be used for flower beds, borders and cut flowers.
"Fantasy" “Fantasy” is a group of varieties that have a miniature height. Growing no more than 20 cm, they serve as an ideal border edging and are used as ground cover.
Low flowers create bright colorful mats on the site and fill the air with a subtle aroma of beauty.
The fragrant china is grown by sowing seeds in open ground or by seedlings.
For open ground we can sow both in spring and before winter. Due to their cold resistance, the seeds overwinter safely in the ground, and with the onset of warmth they begin to germinate.
Sowing before winter
Pre-winter sowing has a number of advantages compared to growing a flower through seedlings. First of all, this lies in their resilience:
- shoots from autumn crops spring temperature changes are not scary
- they are more adapted to the stress of transplantation
- differ lush flowering throughout the entire summer season
Autumn sowing is carried out with the onset of frost, but the soil must be ready at least 2 weeks before. It is loosened well, weed roots are removed and leveled. In the finished bed, grooves are cut up to 5 cm deep. Seeds are placed in them at a distance of 3-5 cm, covered with dry soil and compacted well. In spring, seedlings will appear with the onset of stable warmth.
At the same time, seeds sown in the ground at the end of April or beginning of May will germinate. The sowing principle is the same, only the depth of seeding is reduced (to 2-3 cm).
However spring crops require more attention: it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture and in no case allow it to dry out. It is best to cover the bed with film, this will prevent the evaporation of moisture from the surface and create a greenhouse effect.
Soil moisture and temperature within 20°C are the main components of the friendly germination of sweet pea seeds.
Seedlings
To obtain early China fragrant flowers, many gardeners resort to seedling method growing. The difficulty is that the plant has a long tap root and does not really like to be disturbed.
Therefore, it is preferable to sow in cups, be they peat or plastic. Then transplantation into open ground will take place with less trauma to the root system.
In the first case, the plant will practically not feel the moment of transplantation. And from plastic containers the sweet pea bush is rolled into the hole along with a lump of native soil.
Before sowing, the seeds must go through a processing stage. First, they are calibrated and damaged ones are removed.
To determine the fullness, the seeds are immersed in a saline solution. It is prepared from 1 liter of water and 30 g of salt. The part that ended up on the surface is removed, and the remaining ones will be used for sowing. But first they need to be rinsed from salt and soaked. Soaking is carried out in hot water and lasts for a day. This helps soften the dense shell of the grain.
Next, to get a 100% result, the seeds are germinated, wrapped in soft cloth. It should always be kept moist and in a warm place. At this stage, it is important not to miss the appearance of sprouts.
The hatched peas are distributed into cups and covered with film. After waiting for the shoots to emerge, the container is moved to a bright windowsill. A sufficient amount of sunlight will prevent the seedlings from stretching. For greater bushiness, pinch the sprouts at 3-5 leaves.
All activities described above also apply to perennial varieties ranks of fragrant.
Planting sweet peas: video
On the 20th of May, the grown fragrant bushes can be transferred to the site. If the weather is hot, then the plantings should be shaded - this will protect the delicate leaves of the flower from burns.
When preparing the bed for sweet peas, add mineral fertilizers and embedded in the soil. The soil should be loose and moisture-permeable, since the root system of the flower goes deep into a long distance. This requires abundant but infrequent watering.
The location of the fragrant tree is selected taking into account lighting and protection from the wind.
- The light-loving plant does not tolerate drafts, but can grow in light partial shade.
- When choosing a site, you should consider the possibility of installing supports for tall varieties.
- As the stems grow, they should be directed in the desired direction to create the intended composition.
Loosening and hilling also apply to necessary measures in flower care. Hilling stimulates the regrowth of adventitious roots. This leads to the appearance of new shoots, and therefore to more luxuriant flowering.
Timely removal of faded flowers will help to achieve continuous blooming of buds. Otherwise, the fruit will set in the form of a pod, and the plant will switch to ripening seeds. If there are a lot of such fruits, the plant will stop setting new buds. In this case, flowering will end within one month.
But if the gardener needs to get his seeds, then a few pods should be left. During this period, it is necessary to remember that only 5-10 peas are formed in the flaps. Therefore, based on your needs, it is easy to calculate required amount seed material.
The seed pod is formed at the point where the flower meets the stem. This happens after the flower withers and the petals fall off. At the initial stage, it looks almost flat and has a green color. As the peas inside the valves increase, the pod will thicken and change color. At first it will turn yellow-green, and by the time it ripens, it will turn light brown.
This is the best time to collect seeds. The pods are picked or cut from the plant and left to dry for several days in a dry place with sufficient air. Next, they are carefully opened and the contents are poured onto a plate with sides. In this form they should stand for another 2-3 days.
The finished seed material is packaged in paper bags and stored in a dry place. Pea seeds can remain viable for 7-8 years.
Among plant diseases, the most common are powdery mildew (downy and true), black leg and brown spot.
To eliminate signs of damage powdery mildew The drug "Topaz" is used. 4 ml of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water and used on 8 m2 before and after flowering.
Black leg and brown spotting are treated with the drug “Hom” (10 liters of water +40 g of product).
Maintaining crop rotation, maintaining cleanliness in the area with flowers, removing and destroying plant debris play a big role in the prevention and control of diseases. You can return the flower to its original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.
When infested by pests (aphids and root weevils), use the drug “Fitoverm”. Add 2 ml of the product to a liter of water and spray the sweet pea plantings. This amount should be enough for 10 m2.
With the onset of cold weather, the planting of perennial peas should be put in order. The stems are removed from the supports and cut at ground level. The ground is mulched with sawdust or humus. Cold-resistant plant easily tolerates winter period, and in the spring it begins to germinate as soon as the soil thaws.
Undoubtedly, the fragrant china requires attention and care. But when it blooms and fills the air with a delicate aroma, all the worries seem insignificant. And the gardener, admiring his creativity, determines places to plant flowers in the next summer season.
21 Aug 2016
Garden sweet pea flower often used for vertical gardening. Flower growers love this annual plant for the elegant, beautiful shape of the flowers, a wide variety of varietal colors, and also for the pleasant, delicate aroma of the flowers. Not a single English garden is complete without sweet peas; in Britain, this flower occupies one of the first places among garden annual flowers. On English language The name of this plant is “Sweet Pea”, and in Latin Latyrus odoratus, which means “beautiful and fragrant”. We often describe this plant under the name fragrant chyna.
Sweet pea- a climbing plant, its stems rise along the support, clinging to it with tendrils, and can reach a height of 2-2.5 meters. Tall climbing varieties of sweet peas are planted along the walls of gazebos, terraces, and pergolas. Climbing along the support, the plants produce a large number of flowers along the entire height, forming a beautiful flowering wall, and fluttering throughout the garden pleasant aroma. There are low-growing varieties of sweet peas, 20-40 cm high, they do not require garter, so the plants are perfect for decorating borders, mixborders or for growing in boxes.
Sweet peas bloom in early or mid-summer, depending on the variety and method of cultivation, with proper care Flowering will continue until the first autumn frosts.
Sweet peas can be used to make fragrant bouquets. Sweet pea flowers last up to two weeks in water, but the inflorescences need to be cut with the flowers in full bloom, since the buds do not open after cutting.
Clan China (Lathyrus) has more than 100 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants. They have characteristic flowers that resemble moths, the corolla has a “boat” at the bottom, a “sail” at the top and two “oars” on the sides.
How an annual garden flower with a pleasant aroma gained great popularity sweet pea or sweet pea (Lathyrusodoratus). Based on this species, many varieties and hybrids have been created, which differ in stem height, flowering period and flower color. Sweet pea flowers, 3-6 cm in size, are collected in long racemose inflorescences of 8-12 pieces.
Sweet pea varieties have a wide range of flower colors: pure white, cream, with a pinkish edge, yellow, pink, red, blue, lilac, purple and other shades.
Classification of sweet pea varieties by flowering time:
The following varieties of sweet peas bloom early, 50-55 days after sowing: with red flowers - Mars, Vulcan; With pink flowers- Nancy, Evely, Eileen; with lilac and blue flowers- Triumph, Memory, Mariner; with white and cream flowers - Orientale, White Harlini.
The average flowering period for sweet pea varieties, flowers that begin to bloom after 60 days: red - Jimmy, Kenneth, Dina, Ramona; pink - Miranda and Gloria; purple - Celeste, Eleanor, Grace; white - Jenny, Marion, Lily.
WITH late flowering varieties that bloom 75-80 days after sowing: from the red ones - Grenadier, Wilcome, Fire; from pink - Carmen, Diana, Margaret, Molly; from lilac - Elizabeth Taylor, Neptune, Flegship; from white and cream - Alaska, Milky Way, Best White.
Sweet peas grow wild in mild climate regions of the Mediterranean, South America, South Africa, the Caucasus. Many perennial species plants from this genus are adapted to winters in our climate and are found in forests and meadows; they can be used in the garden to create perennial flower beds.
Spring chin- forms a bush 30-40 cm high. Compound feathery leaves have spines at the end instead of whiskers. The flowers are large, collected in clusters of 3-8 pieces, purple-violet in color. This species blooms in spring. Grows best in diffused light on light, well-drained soil.
China Gmelin- perennial with long stems, from 60 cm to 1.5 meters. The large feathery leaves have a point at the end, this is a modified tendril. The flowers are yellow and bloom in June - July. This perennial propagates by seeds or division of the rhizome.
China tuberous- perennial up to 2 meters high, with small lanceolate leaves with tendrils at the end. The flowers are pink, fragrant. This species blooms all summer. It quickly reproduces by seeds and rhizome cuttings, so it can be aggressive and choke out neighboring plants.
China Mulkan grows on rocky slopes in Central Asia. This climbing perennial plant is very similar to sweet peas, only the flowers are odorless and pink in color. It will be good to grow on sunny place for many years, does not like transplanting, overwinters without shelter. This is a drought-resistant plant and does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. When grown from seeds, it will bloom in the second or third year of life.
China latifolia- a perennial with long, more than 2 meters climbing stems, clinging to the support with tendrils. The flowers are large, odorless, bloom all summer. The plant propagates easily by seeds.
Sweet pea planting and care.
Anyone can grow sweet peas in their garden, you just need to choose the right place to plant them. The way to grow it annual plant Can be through seedlings or sowing directly into open ground. Sweet peas will bloom profusely and for a long time if the plant is cared for correctly.
Sweet peas are a light-loving plant; the place for growing in the garden should be sunny, open and protected from the winds. Can grow in openwork partial shade, but does not like large differences between night and day temperatures, while flowers and buds may fall off.
The soil for growing sweet peas must be fertile, loose, and neutral. This plant should not be grown in constantly wet or frequently flooded areas with heavy and acidic soil. The taproot of peas goes deep into the soil, so the plant does not like transplants even in at a young age, seedlings are grown in peat pots or carefully transferred into holes.
When grown from seedlings, sweet peas begin flowering in June. You can sow sweet peas directly into the ground in the spring, as soon as the soil is ready, but then flowering will begin in mid-summer.
For growing through seedlings, the pots are filled with loose nutritious soil. Sowing of seedlings is carried out in the second half of March. Soil for flower seedlings is mixed from two parts garden soil, 1 part peat and 1 part sand. Since sweet pea seeds are enclosed in a hard shell, before sowing they need to be soaked for 12 hours or two days, kept in a warm place until they hatch. Shoots of soaked seeds will appear in a week. Sweet pea seedlings are watered moderately and often ventilated so that the plants do not get sick with blackleg. To stimulate branching, young plants are pinched above the third true leaf.
Planting flower seedlings in open ground is carried out in the second half of May, since sweet peas tolerate short-term frosts, the planted plants do not need to be covered. The holes are placed at a distance of 20-25 cm so as not to damage the root system; when transplanting from pots, the earthen ball is not destroyed; plants in peat pots are not removed.
An article about when to plant sweet peas for seedlings in 2019 and how to do it correctly to get beautiful flower bed fragrant flowers at your dacha.
Curly lashes of moth-like flowers, a huge variety of shades, a delicate aroma and inflorescences that will delight the eye from June to November - that's all.
It serves as a decoration not only for fences, arches or gazebos, but also for flower beds.
It adds color and warmth and is quite easy to grow.
The most popular varieties
Stella, Orient, White Harmeni, Jenny, Janet, Marion, William, Lily Wat Joy, Cream Giantic, Swan Lake, Burpee Best White.
When to plant sweet pea seedlings and how to do it correctly?
The method of sowing sweet pea seeds directly into the ground is less likely to produce good result than growing seedlings.
When are the best days to plant sweet pea seedlings in 2019?
Sweet pea seeds for seedlings are usually sown in the third ten days of March (from March 21 to March 30). — early April (from 1 to 10)
Agree lunar calendar favorable days in March 2019 these are: 25, 26, 27, 28
How to plant sweet peas for seedlings?
You need to start planting by preparing the seeds.
- Preparing seeds for planting
Since the seeds of this plant have a dense structure, it is best to fill them with 50-degree water in a glass before planting and leave for a day. If the seed has risen to the surface, then you can safely throw it away.
The remaining seeds are washed well and can be prepared for planting.
Tie the scarf into a knot and leave it for the peas to sprout.
It is important to keep the sand wet and the temperature environment should vary between 20-24 degrees.
Also, in order to speed up the ripening period of seedlings, after soaking, it is necessary to select unswollen seeds and use sharp knife, sandpaper or otherwise damage their seed coat without touching the embryo. Please note that this cannot be done with cream-colored seeds.
- Soil for sowing seeds for seedlings
To sow seedlings, you need to take complex soil with neutral acidity (pH 7.0–7.5). Before planting, the soil must be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
- Sowing seeds in the soil:
- As soon as the seedlings appear, the seeds are planted to a depth of two to three centimeters, one at a time, in separate pots.
- Shoots appear in 6–8 days. The growing period for seedlings is 35–40 days. From the moment of seed germination to the beginning of color it will take about 60-90 days. The sooner this happens, the faster flower will bloom.
- After planting the seeds, the container should be covered with film and placed on a warm windowsill, after watering for germination.
As a place for planting, you can use various cups or buy small pots in the store.
For more details on how to do this, watch this video.
How to care for sweet pea seedlings?
Plant care:
- The plant needs regular watering and large quantities light and warmth.
- As soon as the first three leaves appear, the main stem is pinched above the third or fourth leaf to enhance branching so that the shoots on the sides begin to grow faster.
- Watering is reduced to once a week.
- 10–12 days before planting, potted plants should be taken out open air so that the seedlings gradually get used to the temperature that awaits them soon.
- The residence time of the plant should gradually increase to a day.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
Planting in the ground is carried out in early - mid-May at a distance of 20–25 cm.
Flowers that appear at this moment should be cut off. This is necessary for the root system to grow and form.
Ready seedlings sweet pea Features of cultivation:
- Peas love warm and sunny areas and moist soil enriched with nutrients.
- When fertilizing the soil, be sure to exclude fresh manure and nitrogen fertilizers.
- It is also better to observe the soil during rain: if the water is absorbed immediately, then the soil is drained and you can safely plant flowers. If the water persists for a long time, drainage should be carried out. An additional layer of compost will solve the problem.
Remember that on waterlogged very light or heavy and especially acidic soils peas grow poorly. This plant can grow in one place for no more than 2 years due to the accumulation of fungal diseases. And you can return to your old place only after 3-4 years.
Plants are planted in each hole, which are located at a distance of 20-25 centimeters.
When the seedlings take root and begin to grow, tall varieties must be tied to a support with a shoot length of 15–20 cm.
In a flowerbed for growing peas, dig up the soil deeply, add up to 5 kg of humus or compost, 200–300 g of wood ash or 300 g of organic ready-made deoxidizer, 2 tbsp. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l potassium sulfate per 1 sq. m.
It is important not to damage the root system, otherwise the seedling will not be happy abundant flowering. For climbing species, you must immediately install a support.
It should also be taken into account that in the fall the plant must be disposed of, and new planting of sweet peas on this land is possible only after 4-5 years.
Caring for sweet peas does not cause much trouble:
- It needs loosening of the earth and weeding, which is done at least five times during the growth period.
- Regular watering will prevent flowers and buds from falling off.
- And you can prolong flowering if you remove dry flowers at the right time.
Tall varieties need to be tied up, and as they grow, the stems need to be directed in the right direction.
There is no need for pruning.
- How to feed sweet peas?
You can feed it for longer flowering:
- The first fertilizing can be done a couple of weeks after planting in the ground. A mixture of humus with potassium and phosphorus fertilizer.
- The next feeding should be before flowering from nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. If the fertilizer contains chlorine, it will greatly harm the plant.
- The third - during flowering: for 10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of Agricola for flowering plants And organic fertilizer"Flower". Solution consumption - 3–4 liters per 1 sq. m.
If the picture on the package with grown peas does not match, it is quite possible that the soil is not sufficiently enriched with minerals. Will need replanting next year.
As soon as cold weather and frosts begin, the plant should be cut off at the root, and a layer of sawdust should be poured on top. You can feed the soil with phosphorus or potassium fertilizers.
Then next season the peas will be stronger.
When transplanting sweet peas into soil, there are several simple secrets, thanks to which growth will be more successful:
- Seedlings can also be grown in a greenhouse. So, the plant will be stronger.
- Landing at peat pots will save the root system from damage. The green mass will also remain completely intact.
Water peas rarely, in drought conditions once every 7 days, but abundantly - up to 30 liters per 1 square meter. m. Without watering, growth stops and flowering deteriorates. During the season, 3-4 loosening and weeding operations are carried out in the rows.
sweet pea Sweet pea pests
The plant is not too susceptible to pests and diseases.
But you should still be wary:
- gray mold;
- spider mite;
- powdery mildew.
In the second half of summer, due to powdery coating, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. Karatan solution will help avoid this.
Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology and fresh soil will help avoid darkening and death of the plant due to blackleg.
A very common disease of sweet peas is the appearance of sharply defined brown spots on the stem, leaves. These are fungal spores that infect the seeds and overwinter. When such spots appear, the plant should be sprayed with fungicides.
If aphids appear, you can spray them with Actellik.
Sweet peas are very popular among gardeners.
Despite the fact that it is annual and next year you will have to replant again, the plant is not capricious and caring for it will not be difficult. Anyone can grow it.
And the beauty of the inflorescences and pleasant aroma will certainly please anyone!
We hope now that we know when to plant sweet pea seedlings and how to do it correctly, they will definitely decorate your garden!