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FlowersHardyAnnual
Sweet Pea
Sweet pea is a fragrant climbing annual grown for abundant flowers in spring and summer and for one of the finest cut-flower scents in the garden. It is a traditional favourite for wigwams, arches and cutting rows, especially where regular picking is possible.
Basic information
Category
Flowers
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
0 companions · 0 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Germination window
10–21 days
Germination temperature
12–18 °C
Plant spacing
20 cm
Row spacing
45 cm
Sowing depth
2.5 cm
Height
180 cm
Spread
20 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Sow sweet peas early if you can provide protection, plant into rich moisture-retentive soil, and give sturdy support before stems begin to climb. Keep cutting the flowers so plants do not set seed too early, and water deeply in dry spells to prolong the display.
Common pests
Slugs on seedlings, aphids, powdery mildew, mice taking seed.
Companions
No companion crops have been added yet.
Don’t grow with
No crops to avoid have been added yet.