How to grow sweet pea from seeds in containers.

Sweet peas is a flowering plant that belongs to the Fabaceae family. Its scientific name is Lathyrus Odaratus and unlike the common garden peas, sweet peas are poisonous and should not be consumed. It is an annual flowering plant that produces a variety of flowers that come in colours like blue, pink, purple and white. This plant is grown for aesthetic purposes as it produces colourful flowers that give a good aroma. Here’s how to grow sweet peas from seeds in containers.

Growing Conditions

Sweet peas require well-draining fertile soil to grow. The soil must be amended with compost and aged manure before growing this plant. The optimum temperature for sweet peas to grow well is between 13 to 18°C( 55 to 65°F). Sweet peas grow well when they get morning sunlight and shade in the afternoon. Water regularly to keep the soil moist. Sweet peas are climbers and they require a trellis to grow. This flowering plant can grow up to 2 metres.

How to grow sweet peas from seeds

If you are living in very cold regions, then you can start your seeds 6 weeks before the last frost date. When your seedlings have grown 6 inches tall, you can transplant them outside when the soil has warmed up. Sweet peas are cold hardy plants and can tolerate slight frosts.
Soaking the seeds overnight before sowing them can enhance the germination process of your plants. Sweet peas take about 15 to 21 days to germinate. After they have germinated and grown up to 6 inches tall, you can transplant them into bigger containers. Take a container about 15 inches deep and wide for your sweet peas. You can plant two sweet peas in a container. These plants produce flowers during the late spring or early summer season. Pinching the growing tip and deadheading can improve the plant’s growth. You can fertilise your plants with liquid seaweed fertiliser once in 2 weeks to encourage flower growth.

Pests and Diseases

Some of the common pests that can harm your sweet peas plants include thrips, aphids and powdery mildew. You can use diatomaceous earth and neem oil to control thrips and aphids. If your plants have proper air circulation they won’t get harmed by powdery mildew.
Hope you found this article helpful.