- Bloom: from July until frost.
- Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings - in mid-March, planting seedlings in the ground - at the end of May.
- Lighting: bright light.
- The soil: moist, well-drained, fertilized, with a pH of 7.0-7.5.
- Watering: regular, on average once a week with a consumption of 30-35 liters of water per m².
- Feeding: not required, but will not interfere: at the beginning of growth - with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Nitrophoska and 1 tablespoon of urea in 10 liters of water, at the beginning of flowering - with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Agricola and 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water, at the height of flowering - solution of 1 tablespoon Agricola for flowering plants and 1 tablespoon of Rossa in 10 liters of water.
- Garter: Tall varieties of peas need to be tied to a support.
- Hilling: carried out regularly to a height of 5-7 cm with addition to the base of the stem fertile soil– this stimulates the plant to develop adventitious roots.
- Reproduction: seed.
- Pests: nodule weevil and different types aphids.
- Diseases: ascochyta blight, powdery mildew, downy mildew, fusarium, root rot, black leg, viral mosaic and deforming viral mosaic of peas.
Read more about growing sweet peas below.
Sweet pea - description
Flower sweet pea, or fragrant china, was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Root system The plant has a highly branched, rod-like structure, penetrating into the soil to a depth of one and a half meters. Like most leguminous plants, sweet peas enter into symbiosis with nodule bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air. The stems of the tree are climbing, weakly branched, they climb up the support, clinging to it with modified leaves - branched tendrils. Sweet pea flowers resemble moths, but the British think they are like a boat under a sail: the corolla consists of a large petal, similar to a wide oval sail, two side petals (“oars”) and two fused lower petals, forming a “boat.” Sweet peas bloom profusely. It begins in July and at proper care continues until frost. The fruits of sweet peas are small bivalve beans with 5-8 spherical, laterally compressed seeds of yellow, greenish or black-brown color, which remain viable for 6 to 8 years.
Sowing sweet peas.
Cultivation of sweet peas begins with sowing seedlings in mid-March. Before sowing, slow-germinating sweet pea seeds should be soaked in water for 10-12 hours or kept in a fifty-degree solution of the drug Bud (1-2 g per 1 liter of water). Then, for 2-4 days, they are germinated in gauze, wet sand or sawdust at a temperature of 20-24 ºC. As soon as the sweet pea seeds sprout, they should be sown immediately.
Store-bought soils Saintpaulia, Rose or a mixture of humus, peat and turf soil in a ratio of 2:2:2:1 are best suited as a substrate. Any of these substrates must be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, and it is better to use cups or pots as containers for growing seedlings. Sowing is carried out in a moist substrate to a depth of no more than 2-3 cm, placing 2-3 seeds in each cup. If you sow peas in general box, then the distance between the seeds should be about 8 cm. After sowing, the substrate is watered, the containers are covered with film and kept on a sunny windowsill at a temperature of 18-22 ºC.
Caring for sweet pea seedlings.
When massive seed germination begins, and this can happen in a week or two, you need to remove the film from the crops and lower the temperature to 15-16 ºC - this measure promotes the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of the seedlings. Keep the substrate slightly moist at all times and provide the seedlings with good lighting: if you do not have the opportunity to keep the seedlings in a south-facing window, provide them artificial lighting for 2-3 hours daily. For this you can use a phytolamp or a lamp daylight, fixing them at a height of 25 cm above the seedlings and turning on, for example, from 7 to 10 or from 17 to 20 hours.
In the development phase of 2-3 true leaves, seedlings are pinched to stimulate the development of side shoots. After pinching, the seedlings are fed with a solution of 2 g of Kemira in 1 liter of water.
Planting sweet peas in the ground
When to plant sweet peas.
IN open ground Sweet peas from seeds are planted towards the end of May, when the soil has warmed up and the threat of return frosts has passed. If by that time the seedlings have already formed buds or flowers, tear them off so that all the energy of the plants can be directed to the formation of the root system. 10 days before planting seedlings, it is necessary to carry out hardening procedures with it. To do this, containers with seedlings are taken out daily open air, gradually increasing the length of stay until the sweet pea seedlings can stay outside for a whole day.
How to plant sweet peas in the garden.
Sweet peas love light, warm areas and moist, well-drained soil enriched with fertilizers with an acidity pH of 7.0-7.5. Before planting seedlings, dig up the area to the depth of a spade with compost or humus, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Do not use fresh manure as fertilizer, as it provokes fusarium wilt, and do not apply nitrogen fertilizers: sweet peas do not need them.
Make holes in the row at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other and plant 2-3 plants in each. For tall varieties of sweet peas, you need to immediately install supports. Keep in mind that annual sweet peas must be disposed of in the fall, and the plant can only be replanted in this area after 4-5 years.
Caring for sweet peas
How to care for sweet peas.
Planting and caring for sweet peas is not labor intensive. How to grow sweet peas? It needs watering, weeding, loosening the soil, supports, fertilizing and protection from diseases and pests. Watering must be regular and sufficient, since due to lack of moisture, buds and flowers may fall from the plant, and the duration of flowering may be greatly reduced. If the summer is rainless, sweet peas need to be watered weekly, using 30-35 liters of water per m² of planting. You can prolong flowering by promptly removing faded flowers.
Tall varieties of sweet peas need to be tied to supports, which are used as twine or mesh. As the peas grow, their stems are directed in the desired direction and tied up.
In order to stimulate the development of adventitious roots, it is necessary to hill the plants to a height of 5-7 cm and add fertile substrate to the base of the stem.
As for fertilizing, they are not required, but desirable. At the beginning of growth, sweet peas are fertilized with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Nitrophoska and 1 tablespoon of urea in 10 liters of water. At the beginning of flowering, a solution of a tablespoon of Agricola and the same amount of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water is used for feeding, and at the height of flowering, sweet peas are fertilized with Agricola for flowering plants and Rossa, dissolving one tablespoon of fertilizer in a bucket of water.
Sweet peas do not need pruning.
Pests and diseases of sweet pea.
Among the pests that pose a danger to sweet peas are the nodule weevil and various types of aphids. At the beginning of the growing season, the weevil gnaws out semicircles along the edges of the leaves, and its larvae eat the roots of the plant. As a preventive measure against the pest, when planting seedlings, pour 100 ml of a 0.1% Chlorophos solution into each hole. The plants themselves need to be sprayed with the same solution.
Of all the types of aphids that can attack sweet peas, bean aphids, chin aphids and pea aphids. These tiny pests suck the juices out of plants, deforming their organs, and infect them viral diseases. In order to destroy aphids, as well as for prevention, sweet peas are treated 2-3 times during the growing season with Zineb or Ciram with a break between sessions of 2-3 weeks.
Among the diseases, sweet peas can be affected by ascochyta blight, powdery mildew, downy mildew, fusarium blight, root rot, blackleg, viral mosaic and deforming pea viral mosaic.
When ascochyta blight occurs on the leaves, beans and stems of peas, brown spots with clear boundaries. You can fight the infection with two or three treatments with a solution of Rogor at an interval of 2-3 weeks.
Powdery mildew and downy mildew (downy mildew) appear in the second half of summer as a loose whitish coating on the leaves and stems of plants. Over time, the leaves turn yellow, turn brown and fall off. Destroy pathogens with a five percent solution of colloidal sulfur by washing the leaves with it.
Signs of fusarium are yellowing and wilting pea leaves. Diseased plants cannot be treated; they must be removed, while healthy ones must be treated with a solution of the drug TMDT. As a preventive measure, crop rotation should be observed on the site.
Black leg and root rot cause the root collar and roots of sweet peas to darken, and the plant dies. Infected specimens cannot be saved; they must be removed, and healthy ones must be transplanted to another place, having first disinfected the soil and roots of the plants.
The viral mosaic appears as a line pattern on the leaves, and the tops of diseased shoots become twisted and deformed. Plants infected with any of the viral diseases must be removed and burned, since they cannot be cured.
There are more than 1000 varieties of sweet peas. They are all divided into 10 garden groups, of which the following are most often grown:
Duplex
– plants with strong stems and flowers with a double sail, collected in inflorescences of 4-5 pieces. One of the best varieties of the group:
- – Cream- a plant up to 90 cm high with fragrant flowers up to 4.5 cm in diameter, light cream color with a folded or double sail. The inflorescences, located on straight peduncles up to 20 cm high, consist of 3-4 flowers;
Galaxy
- a group of late-flowering varieties created in 1959, more than 2 m high, with strong inflorescences from 30 to 50 cm long with 5-8 corrugated, often double flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. These plants are recommended for landscaping and for cutting. The best varieties:
- – Neptune- a branched variety up to one and a half meters high with strong straight peduncles up to 30 cm high, on which 5-7 pieces collected in inflorescences are located blue flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with a white base and often with a double sail;
- – Milky Way– branched sweet peas up to 145 cm high with very fragrant soft cream flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with a double sail, of which there can be 5-6 pieces in one inflorescence;
Bijou
- a group of semi-dwarfs created by the Americans in 1963 late varieties up to 45 cm high with strong inflorescences up to 30 cm long, consisting of 4-5 corrugated flowers with a diameter of up to 4 cm. These plants can be grown without supports, they are recommended for borders and ridges;
Spencer Group,
which includes powerful multi-stemmed plants up to 2 m high with racemose inflorescences consisting of 3-4 simple or double corrugated flowers up to 5 cm in diameter with wavy petals. The group is represented by varieties with a medium flowering period and is recommended for landscaping and cutting. The best varieties of the group:
- – Warrier- a plant with dark purple flowers with white strokes at the base of the boat, located on straight peduncles. The diameter of the flowers is about 4 cm, the sail is wavy, and the oars are bent;
- – Jumbo- a variety up to 100 cm high with salmon-pink flowers, a white boat, a slightly wavy sail and slightly bent oars. The aroma of flowers with a diameter of about 4 cm is weak, the peduncles are straight and strong;
- – Charlotte– the stems of this variety are up to 150 cm high, the flowers are bright crimson, up to 4.5 cm in diameter, the sail is wavy, the oars are widely spaced. Inflorescences of 2-4 fragrant flowers are located on strong peduncles up to 25 cm high;
- – Cream Gigantic- a plant up to 175 cm high with large creamy, fragrant flowers up to 4.5 cm in diameter, a wavy sail and widely spaced, slightly bent paddles. Inflorescences, consisting of 3-4 flowers, are located on peduncles up to 30 cm high.
In addition to those described, varieties of the group Spencer Monty, Mahogany, Flagship, King Lavender, Ayer Worden, Garnet and others are popular;
Earley Spencer
- a group created by Americans in 1910 early varieties 120-150 cm high with inflorescences up to 35 cm long, consisting of 3-4 corrugated flowers with a diameter of up to 4.5 cm. Varieties are recommended for landscaping and for cutting;
Cupido
- a group created back in 1895 low-growing varieties up to 30 cm high with inflorescences up to 7 cm long, consisting of 2-3 medium-sized flowers of various colors. These varieties are recommended for landscaping;
Cuthbertson-Floribunda
- a group of varieties created in 1952 in America. These are tall plants up to 2 m high with strong inflorescences up to 40 cm long, consisting of 5-6 large corrugated flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm. These early ripening varieties are recommended for cutting. The best of them include:
- – David- a variety up to 140 cm high with large fragrant dark crimson flowers with a white stroke at the base of the boat and a wavy sail. Inflorescences consisting of 5-6 flowers up to 5 cm in diameter are crowned with hard peduncles up to 30 cm long;
- – Kenneth- a variety up to 1 m high with large dark red flowers, collected in inflorescences of 5-6 pieces. The diameter of the flowers is about 4 cm, their sail is slightly corrugated, the oars are slightly bent, the peduncles are up to 16 cm long;
- – White pearl– white sweet pea with flowers about 4.5 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences of 5-6 pieces and located on peduncles up to 30 cm long.
In addition to those described, such varieties of the group as Zhelanny, Peggy, Robert Blain, William and others are also widely known;
Royal Family
- this group of heat-resistant varieties was created in 1964. They are an improved version of the Cuthbertson-Floribunda group varieties. Inflorescences up to 30 cm long consist of large double flowers different colors depending on the variety. The disadvantage of these plants is their increased sensitivity to daylight hours, so they are not grown in winter. Varieties of this group are recommended for landscaping and for cutting;
Multiflora Gigantea
- this group of early varieties up to 2.5 m high was created in 1960 by American breeders. The plants have strong inflorescences from 35 to 50 cm long, consisting of 5-12 corrugated flowers with a diameter of about 5 cm. The varieties are recommended for landscaping and for cutting;
Rufled
- group powerful plants from 6-10 large flowers in one inflorescence. The peduncles are long and strong, the sail is wavy. The best varieties of the group:
- – Grace- a branched plant up to 155 cm high with inflorescences consisting of 5-7 fragrant pale lilac flowers about 5 cm in diameter with dark veins and a wavy sail. The height of rigid peduncles is up to 35 cm;
- – Ramona- a variety up to 130 cm high with bright carmine flowers with a white tongue at the base of the boat and a wavy sail. In one inflorescence, located on a rigid peduncle up to 30 cm long, there are 5-6 flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm;
Intergen
- a group of early low-growing varieties bred in 1991 by Russian breeders, filling the niche between the varieties of the Cupido and Bijou groups. The height of plants in this group is from 35 to 65 cm, so they can be grown without supports. Inflorescences up to 20 cm long consist of 3-4 simple flowers up to 3 cm in diameter. Best variety:
- – Geniana– a plant from 30 to 50 cm high with very fragrant white-lilac flowers;
Lel
- a group of varieties, bred in the same year, intermediate between Bijou and Multiflora Gigantea, with a height of 65 to 100 cm with strong inflorescences up to 30 cm long, each of which consists of 7-12 corrugated flowers with a diameter of up to 4.5 cm. Popular varieties of the group:
- – Lucien- Very aromatic plant 40-60 cm high with light pink flowers;
- – Lisette- a very sweet pea, 40 to 60 cm high with bright red flowers.
In the 70s of the 20th century, groups of English varieties Jet Set and German Laisers Koeningspiel were created. Currently, breeding work on sweet peas continues.
Sweet pea or, as it is also called, sweet pea, is one of the most popular annual flowers from the legume family. Its introduction into culture dates back to approximately the seventeenth century. Until the end of the nineteenth century, its selection proceeded rather slowly. And there were about twelve varieties.
Currently, there are more than a thousand of its varieties, grouped into sixteen groups. The main groups are Spencer, Galaxy, Cuzbertson-Floribunda; dwarf Bijou and Little Sweetheart.
Sweet pea is annual plant, which is a fast-growing climbing vine. It is capable of decorating a vertical garden composition throughout the season, and is therefore “recommended” for use in the country. The shoots of the plant reach a length of 0.3 - 2.5 meters. Due to the antennae, which are located at the ends of the leaves, it rises along the support and clings to it.
The main charm of this plant lies in the whimsical flowers that resemble beautiful butterflies with all kinds of colors. I must say that it comes in all sorts of colors, except yellow. Peas exude a wonderful aroma. Unfortunately, only botanical species have a smell, and hybrids do not have it.
After flowering, fruits - beans - are set. Inside each of them, from five to ten round seeds can form. Their germination persists for about four years.
Sometimes it happens when seeds are not formed. This phenomenon is associated with a sharp temperature difference - both night and day. And although peas are considered a cold-resistant plant, in cool weather the buds fall off, unfortunately, without having time to set an ovary.
The flowering of this plant begins at the end of the first summer month and continues until the beginning of October, almost until the first frost. The flowers range from two to six centimeters in diameter and have a beautiful five-petal corolla. Well, I told you about the sweet pea flower, growing it from seeds is the next part of my story.
How to grow sweet peas?
It reproduces only by seeds. They are grown using seedlings or planted in open ground. Before sowing, they should be soaked in hot water, for about one day, then you need to wrap it in a damp cloth and put it in an open plastic bag to a warm place.
After the seeds hatch, they are planted in peat pots with nutritious soil, or in any other container with special soil. Flower shoots will appear in about two weeks.
Sometimes it happens that some seeds cannot germinate for a long time. To speed up this process, they are soaked in the manner described above, and the shell is pierced with a needle in two or three places.
The optimal temperature that promotes seed germination is twenty degrees. After three leaves grow, the seedlings must be pinched for better branching and more abundant flowering.
The seedlings are quite resistant to frost. In May they are planted in open ground, along with peat pots, in which they were previously sown.
The peas need to be supported. For this purpose, specially designed frames with stretched twine are used. The plant is tied in two or three places. In the future, his mustache will be able to climb up on its own, clinging to the frame with its antennae.
With the help of this beautiful plant decorate the walls of gazebos, garden buildings, terraces, loggias, balconies. Open ones are chosen for planting. sunny places, which are well protected from drafts. Only in such conditions will the peas show themselves “in all their glory,” and their seeds will also fully ripen.
The soil
The plant prefers to grow in fertile soils, without the addition of fresh organic fertilizers. Due to the fact that peas have a deep-growing tap root system, they need to be planted for balcony culture in a very deep container so that they feel comfortable and develop well.
Peas prefer to grow on neutral soils. On poor soil layers it grows worse and flowering is not as vigorous. On overly fertilized plants, the green mass will actively grow, but flowering will begin later and will not be as abundant as we would like, and the seeds will practically not set.
Sweet peas require regular watering and fertilizing. For the latter, it is better to use complex mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content.
Fertilizer application
The first feeding is best done a week after the seedlings are planted in open ground. To do this, you will need a bucket of water in which you need to dissolve a tablespoon of urea and nitrophoska.
The second is carried out at the beginning of flowering. For these purposes, you can use Agricola-7 and potassium sulfate.
Third - recommended during the wild flowering of peas; here Agricola is used for flowering plants or organic fertilizer"Flower".
It should be noted that sweet peas, like most other legumes, can influence soil fertility, improving its quality. The roots enter into symbiosis with nodule bacteria, which absorb nitrogen from the air.
As a result, plants not only feed themselves, but also contribute to the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen after the process of decomposition of the remains of the root system. It is best to grow peas in one place for no more than two years, otherwise they will not produce lush, beautiful flowering.
Conclusion
Sweet peas are very popular among gardeners, and, probably, every summer resident can find this charming flower, which decorates the country landscape with its appearance, pleases the eye and improves mood. So if you don’t have it yet, hurry up and get the seeds!
Sweet pea is beautiful flower, related to herbaceous plants, legume family. It is capable of growing up to 2 meters in height, provided there is good support. Sweet peas have been actively cultivated since the 17th century, and they still attract bright colors, pleasant aroma and duration of flowering. The first flowers appear in June, and the plant blooms almost until late autumn, depending on climatic conditions. The flower has a wide variety of shades.
Sweet peas, growing from seeds. When to plant, photo
The topic of this article is sweet peas, growing from seeds. When to plant, photos and recommendations from experts will help you decorate your territory with an unusual, vibrant plant.
How to grow sweet peas from seeds?
Sweet pea is widely used in landscape design: they decorate gazebos, fences, arches. The flower is grown as an annual and perennial. It can be planted as seeds in open ground or as seedlings. If you plant sweet peas as seedlings, flowering will occur faster. Seeds are planted in May.
Sweet Pea Seeds Before sowing it is necessary:
- Soak the seeds for at least two hours in a hot aqueous solution (+50 degrees) of the drug “Bud”, prepared at the rate of no more than two grams per liter of water. This promotes better germination, since the seeds have a fairly dense shell. But sweet pea seeds, which have a creamy tint, should not be soaked; they are planted dry.
- Choose high-quality planting material. The seeds that float to the surface are removed, as they are not suitable for planting. Those that have sunk are taken out and placed on a damp cloth, which is placed on damp sand. It is necessary to ensure that the sand does not dry out.
- Disinfect the soil. To disinfect the soil, it is treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Sprouted seeds are planted in individual containers to a depth of 3 centimeters.
After two weeks, the first shoots will appear. After three true leaves have grown, the tops of the plants are pinched, which will help active growth side shoots. In the second half of May, when the plants grow to 10 centimeters, they are planted in open ground, leaving a distance of at least 20 centimeters between them. The depth of planting depends on the development of the root system. When transplanting seedlings, you need to remove them from the container along with a lump of earth so as not to damage the roots.
Caring for sweet peas
Plants need to be tied up when they are still very small, and support should be provided for them. You can use a net or a stretched rope as a support. In order for flowering to occur simultaneously, the plants are fed mineral fertilizers. Also, in order for the flowers to be lush and delight them with their bloom for a long time, faded buds and pod ovaries should be removed. As they grow, you need to tie the shoots in the required direction.
IMPORTANT! As care, you should ensure regular weeding of plants, loosening as necessary and abundant watering. To make sweet peas please their owners beautiful flowers And lush flowering, you should also take into account the climatic features of your region. So, in warm areas, the plant can be planted directly from seeds in open ground. In colder climates it is recommended to use seedling method growing.
So, the topic is sweet peas, growing from seeds, when to plant, photo will definitely help you get beautiful flower bed unusual flowers.
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Sweet pea (or in other words, sweet pea) is a spectacular annual or perennial plant, which is a fast-growing vine. Such beauty can be easily grown in any area. During flowering, peas emit an incredible aroma, filling every corner of the garden with it, and its fancy moth-shaped flowers will outshine any other plant with their colors.
Sweet peas: features of growing from seeds
Sweet pea is hanging plant, which reproduces exclusively using seeds. Currently, there are about 1 thousand varieties of climbing sweet peas, which are combined into 16 groups. Old varieties of the plant can reach a height of about 2 m, while latest achievements selection brought out dwarf species (up to 40 cm).
Sweet pea belongs to the Hedge group, which means that it does not need support. This hanging plant looks especially appropriate when decorating gazebos, verandas, terraces, pergolas, trellises, fences and other buildings. Climbing sweet peas can be safely used as a curtain to hide unsightly places on the site. Low varieties of sweet peas are appropriate for growing in containers, boxes or pots, as well as for planting along the edges of ridges and flower beds.
It is necessary to prepare material for growing in March-April. The shell of the plant seeds is quite hard, so before planting they are soaked in hot water and left for 24 hours. Seeds that float should be taken out and thrown away (they are empty and will not sprout). After soaking and selecting suitable grains for growing sweet peas, they are washed, placed in a moist substrate for germination and stored in a warm place. dark place. It can be anything - a damp cloth, sand, sawdust, etc. Seeds that cannot germinate for a long time can be helped by calcining them in several places with a sharp object (a needle, for example).
When the sweet pea seeds hatch, they are planted in nutritious peat pots, placed in a well-lit place and wait for shoots (usually they appear after 2-3 weeks). At this time, maintain the temperature at least 23 degrees. When the first leaves appear, the sprouts of sweet peas are pinched for further abundant flowering. Before boarding open ground, it is recommended to harden off the seedlings. To do this, pots of sprouts are placed on the balcony for 1 hour, every day, increasing the residence time.
Sweet peas: planting and care
This hanging plant tolerates frosts down to -7 degrees. In the month of May, sweet pea sprouts are planted in open ground on sunny areas along with peat pots for further cultivation. Since the plant prefers lighted places, but does not like heat, a planting site is chosen with possible isolation from direct sun rays. The distance between the trees should be maintained no more than 12 cm.
Sweet peas prefer dry places with fertile, loose and slightly acidic soil. Many gardeners provide the plant with support when it reaches a height of more than 25 cm. Special frames with twine are ideal for this, to which climbing peas are tied in several places. As it grows, it will wrap itself around the frame, aiming upward towards the sun. If you have sweet peas dwarf varieties, support is unnecessary for him.
To obtain intense, lush and beautiful flowering, the plant must be watered once every 10 days. During rainy season this interval is increased. With insufficient watering, pea flowers become small and unsightly, and in very advanced cases, they wither and die. Climbing sweet peas need to be fertilized liquid fertilizers. The plant is fertilized for the first time 7 days after planting in an open area, the second fertilization is carried out at the beginning of flowering, and the third - during abundant flowering.
To ensure longer flowering of sweet peas, experienced gardeners carry out pinching and remove faded twigs and withered leaves. These little tricks will allow the plant to delight you with its abundant, fragrant and colorful blooms until mid-autumn.
Sweet peas are a very beautiful and easy to care for plant. It is in great demand as experienced gardeners, and among amateurs. With proper care and planting, peas will decorate the country landscape with their appearance, delighting you and your guests.
Ornamental sweet peas can be called one of the first successful results in plant breeding. It was bred as a result of crossing, resulting in not only a delicious appearance, but also a pleasant enchanting aroma.
This culture also has one more feature - distinguished by the variety of shades of inflorescences: white, pink, red, purple and blue, it cannot be yellow, no matter how hard the breeders try. However, this does not at all detract from the merits of this annual.
Among the latter - unpretentiousness to growth conditions, as well as the duration of flowering from early summer to November. It is grown in the garden and on open balconies, like tall lavatera, only using trellises and garters. There are also varieties that grow in the form of shrubs, which are excellent for flowerpots.
Growing features and optimal conditions
For comfortable growth of this crop it is necessary fertile soils, always with good drainage properties. At the same time, they must provide decent aeration of the root system. Not suitable for growing garden areas where precipitation may accumulate or nearby groundwater.
In terms of reaction, neutral soils are preferred. In the fall, it is also advisable to fertilize the flowerbed with phosphorus and potassium or add rotted compost. In turn, fresh manure will be detrimental to sweet peas. This flower does not require nitrogen fertilizers at all.
Sweet peas need good diffused lighting and heat up to twenty-five degrees Celsius. Under conditions of drought and under constant direct rays of the sun, it can shed its inflorescences and even die.
This flower is propagated exclusively by seeds, which are best purchased from a trusted manufacturer, since, like artificially bred petunias, self-harvested seeds lose some of the qualities of the mother plant.
Main pests sweet peas are nodule weevils and aphids, which can be controlled by spraying with insecticides or a soap solution.
Video on the topic