Few things smell as proficient as a blooming sweet pea plant in the garden . This once unremarkable pea plant turned into floral maven climbs over garden archways , up fences , and across trellises . The flowers burst into shades of pinkish , blue , chicken , and white . Originally cultivate in Italy during the 17th century , this floral gem has made its way around the Earth .
About the Sweet Pea
Though a congener of the edible pea , the sweet pea does not produce plump flavorful seed make a yummy soup . The germ from a sweet pea plant industrial plant may really be toxic . rather , it has been engender for its flower . The flower of a seraphic pea vine is immensely declamatory than other pea plant varieties and significantly more aromatic .
Cultivars range in color from traditional pinko to violet and deep red crimson ; there are even bi - slanted choice . These towers of blooms can be cut and tally to system , or just enjoyed in the garden .
Though the sweet pea plant is n’t an edible pea , it is still a member of the pea family and a N - fixing garden works . All pea have a limited family relationship with soil bacterium that allows them to source nitrogen from the gentle wind . In doing this , they give behind N - rich nodule in the stain for other flora to utilize .
Planting Sweet Peas
Plant mellifluous peas in the spring as ahead of time as the land can be worked . There is no need to wait until the last rime , peas are very cold-blooded hardy . In USDA zone 6 and below , begin sweet peas in a greenhouse or indoors to get an early start .
Plant them somewhere with productive well - draining soil and flock of sunlight . They will turn in fond refinement but not as well , peas wish their heads in the Lord’s Day and their foot in the cool moist soil .
Dig a deep 4 inches deep and as long as you would like your sweet pea wrangle to be . embed your peas every 3 inches and fill in the deep . They can be tiresome to germinate and may not pop out of the dirt for a workweek or more .
Sweet Pea Planting Checklist :
Sweet Pea Flower Care
When plant are a few inches tall , thin them to 5 inch spacings . When works are about 6 inches magniloquent , vellicate the peak to boost more bushing and flower production . This process can be repeat anywhere you ’d like the plant life to fork out .
odorous peas need something to climb . This can be anything from bamboo garden stakes to sections of wire fence , they are n’t picky . Some climb varieties can reach 9 feet in top , check over the seed packet to acknowledge how tall to build it . nibble out dead flowerheads to maintain new blooms all season long .
