Sweet Pea Guide

WHEN: Sow sweet pea seeds 8-10 weeks before your last frost. In USDA zone 8 and above, sweet peas can alternatively be sown in the fall and overwintered for earlier bloom.

PREP: Soak your seeds in tap water for 24 hours before sowing to speed up germination. Fill 4” pots with high quality potting mix. 

PLANT: Poke two holes in each pot with your finger, about 1” apart and 1/2” deep. Place one seed per hole and cover with soil. 

SPROUT: Cover pots for a few days with a clear plastic dome lid, or a plastic bag to speed germination. Place pots in a protected outdoor location with bright light like a greenhouse or deck, or in a bright window sill that is not too hot.

GROW: When plants are 4-6” tall, pinch above a set of leaves, leaving 2 or 3 leaf sets. This will force the plant to branch from the base and produce more flowers. 

SUPPORT: Sweet peas grow quickly, and need a 5’ trellis or structure in full sun to climb. Set up the support before you plant. Options include: Cattle panel, wire fencing, wood or bamboo trellises, garden netting hung vertically, arches, pre-existing woven wire or chain link fencing. 

PLANT: Around your spring frost date, plant out seedlings on both sides of the trellis, staggered and about 6” apart.

TEND: Tuck and weave the sweet pea vines into the trellis as they grow. Sweet peas need consistent water. Set up drip irrigation or soaker hoses, and water 2-3 times a week during the dry season for best results. 

HARVEST: For best vase life, harvest when just the lower flowers on the stem are open. If you want to keep your sweet peas blooming all summer, keep harvesting and don’t let the plants develop seed pods until fall. Harvest seed pods before fall rains set in.