Sweet peas are one of the easiest flowers to grow, make sure you give them some sort of stake/trellis to grow up. The more you pick them the more they will flower so pick, pick and pick and they will go on and on and on.

Thanks Janpled, do you plant them in a circle around wigwam or obelisk thing and how much space do they need? Do you have to tie them to support at first or do they manage ok by themselves?

I plant them about 9 " -12" apart around a wigwam and up a fence and shove them anywhere they can cling onto. When they are about 6" tall I tie them to a support and after that they do their own thing. Beware of slugs, they are easily nipped right back so where I dont want to use pellets I plant them inside a cut off squash bottle, these are soon hidden by foliage.If you want a long season with them sow seeds every few weeks (starting in the autumn indoors if you have protection from frost).

Thanks Janpled, I will have to buy ready started ones this year at least. The cut off bottles, do you make rings with them and if so, how high? I don't like to use pellets and have tried various so called repellants to small effect:-)

Hi Bornagain,it is not too late to start your own seeds. The autumn planted ones will only give you a couple of weeks head start so get your own seeds going as soon as you can get some heat (even on a windowsill) I haven't started mine yet. The rings I cut are about 6" tall, I set the seedling in the soil -or seed- and pop the ring over the top of it.Tie it up to a stake when it has grown beyond the ring :-)

If you don't want to cut them for the house, then go out every day or so when they're in flower and just snip off the ones that have finished, before they get a seedpod. If you don't, the plant thinks it has finished its job and stops flowering.

If you do pick them and snip off the excess, then they carry on flowering for weeks and weeks.

By cutting the flowers off you stop them setting seed so they try again. Hence the more you cut the flowers the more you get.

I would love some in the house, but worried the plant would look bare :-)

No - they don't, as they keep producing more buds which open sooooo fast! And the leaves are there as well, don't forget. So you have unopened buds, half-opened buds and flowers all at the same time! Lovely. :-))))

How can I go wrong with all this help, thanks:-))

Go for it! :-))))

once my greenhouse defrosts i will be planting my sweetpea seeds so its not too late at all. did them in feb last year and they did really well and only a week or two behind my brother who set his off earlier.

I'm considering planting a second lot soon - my autumn ones have been pinched out and are ready for planting out - LOL.

I think I am going to try to extend the flowering period this year by sowing the next lot.

Ok, I've never really understood pinching out or been confident enough to do it, only ever bothered with perennials. They have to be pinched out???:-)

pinching out is dead easy. when your seedlings have 4/6 leaves take the top 2 out using your fingertips or scissors if you prefer. if you pinch out too much they will still re shoot from the base. then they become bushier :o)

Thanks Sbg, so I can't go wrong? :-)

no, so just go for it :o)

One additional thing - they are greedy plants, so they need enriched soil. When you can, (haha) dig in some well-rotted manure or home-made compost or chicken manure pellets where you are going to plant them - and then give them a weekly feed once they're up and doing. :-)

I've bought some seeds today from Wilkinsons.... and a beautiful pink cactus dahlia. I bought a Geoff Hamilton book the other day (charity shop) on cottage gardens and he says to use toilet roll middles or newspaper to start them in, sweet peas that is not dahlias lol. Anyone else any tips? I've only just started my compost off again as my husband put celandine bulblets in the compost bin (said through gritted teeth) and it all had to go on the skip. I'll try for the chicken manure pellets yum:-)

I wrote a blog ages ago about newspaper pots, then Jacque did, as well. I always start my sweetpeas in them, as then you don't have to disturb the roots when you plant them out - they don't like that. I'll try and find where my blog is and come back to you.....

There - I found it! October 2008 and it's called 'Sweet peas in newspaper'. I hope it helps. :-))

Thanks Spritz:-)

You're welcome. :-)))