Growing Sweet Peas In Pots

The botanical name of sweet peas is Lathyrus odoratus. This is an annual flower and can be a part of your cutting garden. This plant produces different colours of flowers such as yellow, blue, pink, purple white, and red. Sweet peas blooms have lasting appeal.

If you want to grow these gorgeous fragrant flowers but you don’t have much space then don’t lose your heart. You can also grow them in pots or containers.

You don’t need acres of land to enjoy gardening. Most plants grow well in parts and take up limited space. You will be surprised when you see the adorable blooms in the pot you choose for growing sweet peas.

Limited space is not a big problem for you. You can at least try to grow sweet peas in pots after reading this article.

Recommend Varieties Of Sweet Peas

Following are the varieties that are best for growing in big pots and containers.

1- MATUCANA

This variety produces two-tone dark pink and purple blooms. These strongly scented flowers look very beautiful and attractive when you grow them in the pot.

2- EREWHON

The colour of the flowers of this variety is a pale blue and mauve pink with a strong fragrance. These dedicated shades of flowers make them ideal to choose from.

3- LORD NELSON

The small flowers of this variety are highly scented. The colour of the blooms is a deep navy blue to purple.

4- KING EDWARD II

As the name shows that this is an old variety of sweet pea this variety uses radish pink flowers that look adorable.

5- PAINTED LADY

Another popular variety of sweet pea plants is Painted Lady. This variety produces dark pink and pale pinky-white petals.

6- WHITE PEARL

As the name shows that this variety produces white flowers. These flowers have no scent but they come back year after year. These climbing plants can grow up to 6 to 7 ft.

When To Plant Sweet Peas?

The ideal time for planting sweet peas is in very late winter or Early Spring. This plant needs protection from harsh frost but if you want to start them earlier then you can establish strong root growth indoors and then transplant them outside in your desire or in spring.

Early sowing seeds of sweet peas is a secret of successful growth. The young seedlings that are prepared indoors then easily adjust into a big pot that you prepared.

Never plant the seeds directly into the big pot and start them in quart-size pots in fall or late winter. Then early spring arrives and your seedlings are ready to transplant outdoors in a big pot.

Growing Sweet Peas From Seed

It is better to prepare sweet pea seeds to get better results. The first thing you have to do is place all the seeds on a blotting paper or you can also use a kitchen paper towel.

Leave the seeds for 24 hours and with the help of a sharp blade you should nick the outer coat of the seeds to absorb water better to speed up the germination process.

Following are the simple steps you must follow to grow sweet peas plants from seeds in pots.

You need small 3-inch pots to prepare the seedlings of sweet peas. Fill the pot with high-quality potting compost and 20% sand. This will encourage strong root growth and your seeds germinated well. Make a 1 cm hole in the compost and plant the seeds in the pots. Place these pots on a sunny window sill and wait for the new growth.
The germination process takes 7 to 15 days, depending on the temperature.
Soon you will see the young little seedlings start emerging from the soil. At this time you have to move the parts outside so it will get enough sunlight for further growth.
When you see there are two pairs of leaves each seedling has then you should pinch out the growing shoots. This will help to encourage the new vigorous growth of the shoots.
Before transplanting the seedlings into the pot. You should keep in your mind certain things such as you need a big pot with high-quality potting mix so your seedlings will not be disappointed when they are grown in the pot. They get all the desired nutrients as you are using a potting mix that contains organic material. March to April is the best time for transplanting sweet pea plants outside in the pots.

Big Pots Are Best

The size and depth of the pot depends upon the need and requirement of your plant. It is better to use a large pot for growing sweet peas. The ideal size of the pot must be 20 inches wide and 16 inches deep.

This pot can hold 1.5 cubic feet of soil. When you use a large pot, the roots of sweet pea plants grow very deeply.

If you use a small pot then you can grow only a few plants as you know sweet peas are a vining plant and can grow tall. They need support that is installed in the pot that also needs room so a large pot is the best choice.

Never use terracotta pots because they dry out very quickly and you have to keep the soil moist as possible. If you are living in a humid area then terracotta pots work best for you.

Buy The Best Potting Mix And Fill Your Pots And Transplant

Never use garden soil for filling the pot you choose for growing sweet peas. Garden soil is very compacted and it will not provide all the required nutrients to your sweet pea plants.

It is better to use a high-quality potting mix because it contains all the essential organic materials such as peat moss, vermiculite, and other nutrients. Now fill your part with this high-quality potting mix and transplant your seedlings in them.

TRANSPLANTING

After preparing your pot now you can easily transplant your seedlings in them. Before transplanting the seedlings make sure the temperature is not too low because sweet pea plants can’t tolerate harsh frost or cold.
As you are using a big pot so you can transplant six seedlings in our pot. Before transplanting you must install some support so the sweet pea vines can grow well.
As you know sweet peas are vining plants so they need some support to climb on. You can use bamboo cans for supporting them. Another reason for using bamboo cans is that they are cheap and there is no need to spend some money. The interesting thing about them is that they are long-lasting.
Install six bamboo cans in your big pot and tie them with the help of a wire to make a teepee shape. The top of the cans must be secure.
Now you can transplant your seedlings in the pot.
Asda Vines grow they will train beautifully on the bamboo cans and look adorable and charming.

Keep Reading

How Much Sun Do Sweet Peas Need?

Sweet peas like to grow in the cold environment. As you are growing sweet peas in a pot or container then make sure the location of the pot must be sunny because sweet peas need a good amount of sunlight.

Sweet peas produce more flowers for you if the weather remains cool and they receive full action exposure. When the temperature begins to rise in late May and June then you must protect this flowering plant from the hot afternoon sun.

Make sure the location of your pot is in such a place that the vines of the sweet peas are in the sun but the roots are in the shade.

Water And Fertilizer

Water and feed are two important factors that play a very important role in the growth of pea plants. When you let the soil dry then it is not easy for your plants to make their food and in the same way, when your plants do not get essential nutrients growth will stop.

You should maintain of frequency of water. But it does not mean that you supply an overdose of water to the plant. Always carefully examine the soil when it is completely dry then you should water the plants.

With the help of your finger, you can check the soil. Overwatering causes root rot and many fungal diseases in your sweet piece plants so you must avoid it.

Just like you have to maintain the frequency of water in the same way, overdosing on fertilizer is also not good for your plants. It can burn the pea plants.

As you are using a high-quality potting mix, it is unnecessary to use a lot of fertilizer because that’s why. You should regularly inspect the sweet pea plants. If the foliage looks pale then you must add some fish emulsion in the soil to fulfil the deficiency of the soil.

Cut The Blooms And Tendrils

If you want the new growth of blooms then you must harvest them regularly. The right time of picking the flowers is when they are open on a stem.
You can use these pretty flowers for making bouquets. Keep it in your mind the more flowers you pick the more sweet pea plants produce for you.
As you are supporting your sweet pea plants with bamboo cans then there is no need for tendrils. They take energy from the plant so you can cut them off when harvesting the flowers. Avoid cutting the growing tip of the wine.

Pests And Diseases

When the temperature rises then pests and diseases create alarming situations for you. They give stress to your plant and it will not focus on producing the blooms for you.

Soon you will see powdery mildew and thrips appear on the older leaves of the sweet pea plants. After that production of the flowers becomes slow.

As you know, a hot environment is also not good for sweet pea plants when disease attacks them, then they stop producing flowers. You can control pest and disease problems with the help of any insecticidal spray. But if the temperature increases to 90°F then these wines will begin to die.