Sweet peas as fragrant flowers

WALLFLOWER: THEY FILL THE HOME WITH THEIR PERFUME

The veggie garden is an ideal area because the flowers attract pollinators.

If you have a wall or fence that gets sun in winter, then you are in luck, because it is the perfect position for growing sweet peas. In the hierarchy of fragrant flowers, sweet peas are at the top, with roses, lilies, freesias and gardenias. They are long lasting cut flowers that fill the home with their sweet and elusive perfume. The timing is perfect because that’s when we need indoor colour and fragrance.

This is the best time to sow sweet peas.

There are both climbing and bush varieties. Neither takes up much space so they are ideal for smaller gardens. They are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil.

Climbers need a fence, trellis against a wall, bamboo or steel obelisk. The veggie garden is ideal as the flowers attract pollinators.

The dwarf varieties can be planted in containers, window boxes or as scented borders for spring flowering bulbs.

Good to know:

Marlaen Straathof of Kirchhoffs Seeds says the best place to grow sweet peas is on a slight slope. This assists drainage and is particularly appropriate for gardens that receive winter rainfall.

How to prepare the soil

Climbing sweet peas, like Kirchhoffs Mammoth Mix make extensive roots, so a deep trench is essential. Water the day before so that it is easier to dig the trench. Dig a 50 – 80cm deep trench, placing the top soil to one side and the poorer soil from deeper down to the other side.

Sprinkle iron chelate in the bottom of the trench, this supplies the iron which sweet peas need to perform well. Add a layer of garden refuse to the hole, like lawn clippings, dead leaves, sticks, and pruning’s. Cover it with a layer of the poorer soil. Add a layer of well-rotted manure and compost and cover it with soil. Then mix compost, bonemeal and a light sprinkling of lime into the top soil and shovel that back into the hole. Water well and let it stand overnight or for a few days.

For bushy varieties, like Bijou Mix, prepare a trench/hole 30cm deep (a spade’s depth), sprinkle iron chelate into the bottom of the hole and mix the top soil with compost, rotted manure, bonemeal and lime.

Germination tip:

Soak seed for 12 hours to soften the outer covering. This speeds up germination.

How to sow

Sow seeds about 3cm deep and about 12cm apart. For protection against the birds, cover the seedlings with chicken wire or netting raised a little off the ground.

Alternatively, sow the seeds into egg trays filled with potting soil or vermiculite.

Once the seeds have germinated and are ready for planting out, just break up the egg box and plant each seedling in its egg box case. The roots will not be disturbed and they will be kept safe from cut worm. The plants should be about 30cm apart.

Growing on

When plants are about 15cm high, nip off the tops leaving only about 10cm. This encourages strong basal shoots and when these also reach 18cm they should be tipped to encourage stronger growth. Climbing varieties need to be staked.

Water deeply once a week, and apply a liquid fertiliser every 10 days when plants are in full bloom. Mulch around the stems to keep the roots cool. To prevent fungus, spray with Copper Count.