The best time to sow Sweetpeas is in the Autumn but you also have a short window in late winter. In this video I explain why it’s best not to sow any later than the end of February.

If you missed the Autumn Jump Starter or you’ve discovered some new varieties that you would like to grow you have one last chance to sow your Sweetpeas now for flowers this coming summer!

Leggy Linda’s or leggy seedlings

Convert your ‘Leggy Linda’ seedlings into new plants by taking Sweet Pea cuttings.

The most common problem when starting seeds is too little light.

At this time of the year the sun has dipped casting large areas of your garden into shade.

It might look bright but there is no actual overhead sunshine reaching your plants.

Tall fence panels don’t help, so you might have to relocate your little zippy greenhouse.

We’re not using our patios at the moment, so move your Linda’s to the best spot in the garden so they can bask!

This small change will also prevent a lot of other problems such as ‘damping off’ a fungal disease that thrives in cold wet conditions killing seedlings.

I always think it’s better to ‘show’ than just explain so grab a cuppa, a comfy chair and press play.

How we support our Sweet Pea’s and protect the blooms from rain and adverse weather conditions.

It’s March and the Autumn Jump Starter Sweetpeas are hardened off and ready to plant out. We are adding a little bit of protection in case we suffer a cold spell.

It’s the end of April and the Sweetpeas are rapidly making their way up their supports so it’s important to tie them in to keep the straight and stop the wind blowing them down. Give the vines space when tying so they have

Early in the season wildly fluctuating temperatures can cause Sweet pea flowers to fail to fully develop and instead of opening slowly wither away before finally dropping. This is nothing to worry about and the problem will slowly disappear as temperatures become more stable as we approach early summer.

Its the start of June and the Sweet Pea’s are beginning to reach the top of their supports. Sweet Pea’s are vines, so left to their own devices they will easily reach 12 feet in height which is too tall and unmanageable for most gardens. By stopping them (or topping off) we can keep the flowers within reach and encourage the plants to branch, creating side shoots further down the plant reinvigorating it with lush new foliage and lots of flowers.

We have talked in the past about not watering your plants in full sun. The wet foliage can magnify the sun’s rays and cause the leaves to scorch. This can also happen naturally and you may have seen some marks on the foliage that look similar to pest attack. Fear not, it is just the result of a period of sunshine and showers. At this time of the year the sun is quite strong, after the rains stop and the sun appears (albeit briefly) the wet leaves are being slightly scorched. In this video we cover deadheading Sweet Pea’s and what sun scorch looks like.