The sweetness of a sweet pea
end of the seed poke the tip of a sharp knife into the seed to crack the hard outer shell so moisture can get inside. Do not soak the seeds in water prior to planting as that will make them rot after planting.
‘‘Sow the cracked seeds into prepared soil in early spring when the soil has warmed. Water in well.’’
It’s not necessary to do this where I live, and possibly not where you live either. But if you do have trouble germinating your sweet peas, you might give this a go.
You can apply a balanced fertiliser at planting time, but there’s no need to go overboard. As legumes, sweet peas fix their own nitrogen. As your plants grow, apply 5-10cm of organic mulch around them. As the mulch slowly decomposes over summer it will provide nutrients for the plants while helping the soil retain moisture. No other food is needed for the plants, though in poor soil you could give them a side dressing of low-nitrogen, granulated fertiliser once during the growing season if desired.
Scatter snail pellets around your seedlings too, or you’ll be left with nothing but chewed-on stalks.
Make sure you water during dry spells and keep picking the flowers to ensure they keep coming. If seedpods are allowed to develop, flowering will slow down and eventually stop. At the end of the season though, you can leave a few flowers on the plant to form pods to save your own seeds. Pick when the pods have turned brown, remove the seeds from the pod and let them dry out completely on a paper towel. Store seeds in a paper bag or envelope in a cool, dry place, ready for sowing the following season.
Visit Jane’s blogs: sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz and flamingpetal.co.nz.