In My Garden: Planting Sweet Peas

Sweet peas grow up a trellis in my winter garden every year. The fragrance is heavenly and I have bouquets in the house and to give away.

I especially like this very fragrant bicolor variety and save the seed for the next season. I’ve been doing that for over twenty years so the seed is well adapted to our climate. I shared the seed with Brijette at San Diego Seed Company and you can purchase and grow Royal Family Mix Sweet Peas.

When the volunteer sweet peas show up in the garden I know conditions are right for planting this year’s sweet peas.

I usually scarify (rough up) the seeds and then soak them overnight to hasten germination. Here’s how I do it. Roll over the seeds to break the tough coating. You can adapt to what you have at hand (perhaps a concrete sidewalk and a brick).

Online seed companies like Johnny’s Seeds and local nurseries carry soil inoculant.

Soil inoculant can improve the yield of pea and bean crops so I always use this right at time of planting. Read more about soil inoculants.

I create a six inch wide trench in soil that has been enriched with compost and an all-purpose organic fertilizer. Sweet peas aren’t too fussy though. Space the seeds 2-3 inches apart and cover with one-half inch of soil. Press soil in trench for good seed to soil contact. Water trench and protect from birds which find the sprouts a tasty treat.

The saved seed, scarified and soaked should emerge any day. Pea brush will support the seedlings and direct them to the trellis.

Read my post on pea brush and Robert Frost’s poem “Pea Brush” here.