SWEET PEA NOTES

• Most available sweet peas are summer flowering, requiring 12 hours of daylight before they will bloom. Keith advises these are best planted any time between July and October, certainly not before June or the vines grow too large by the time days are long enough for flowering to commence. Removing the main shoot from young plants encourages stronger basal growth and bushier plants.

• Spring-flowering types require 11 hours of daylight and are best sown in May, and winter-flowering varieties need just 10 hours and are best sown late February or March. These typically produce a single main stem without strong basal growth and are mainly grown as cut flowers.

• Dharini emphasises the importance of protecting young seedlings from slugs and snails.

• Cultural notes are sent out with seeds. Order from Keith’s website, drkeithhammett.co.nz.