Sweet PeasA most popular yearly , the sweet pea ( Lathyrus odoratus ) is not unmanageable to grow , though the copious the ground the better the result . give unspoilt cultivation it will produce stem 2 foot . long bearing four , five or more floweret . Elegant , refined and fragrant , with the exception of yellow , it will provide every color of the spectrum and dozens of dissimilar tones or shades . It is a ‘ cut - and comeagain ’ annual ; indeed , every other Clarence Shepard Day Jr. blooms should be gathered to keep the plants in full production .
The ‘ Spencer ’ eccentric , trained up canes in ` cordon fashion ’ , will grow to a meridian of 14 ft . though this means that all side shoot need to be take during the growing season and every few days there is the stage business of tying or call up the wooden-headed haulms ( stems ) , and once or double during the growing season kneeing , or layering is called for . On the other hand , if the sweet pea is countenance to go its own elbow room brushwood or wire to the acme of 8 ft . will not be too tall . Soils Land enriched with farmyard manure at the rate of one barrowful to each strip of 15 foot . by 4 ft . , apprehend in the fall or former winter into the 2nd spit of soil and spike by 1/2 lb . of bonemeal , will give the best result , or good gardencompostat the same charge per unit will dish out . Failing that peatmoss may be used . A big bucket to the straight yard , strengthen by a1/4 lb . of artificial fertilizer containing atomic number 7 , phosphates and potash in the proportion of 20.10.10 , obtainable in granular form , has prove a very near substitute .
The whole area where the dulcet peas are to be grow should be double - dug and the bottom spit regale as suggested . If the soil has been used the old class for a harvest that has been manured , nothing at all need be added . Acid soils should be given a light dusting of quicklime in early spring . Sweet peas revel in temperateness and dislike drafts , so give them a sheltered station .
When to Plant
Where wintertime are less severe , come may be sown in November providing a masking of saltiness hay is give during the winter . In colder areas sow in as early as potential in spring . A outflow sowing may also be made in pots or flats in a greenhouse six weeks in advance of planting time . sow in Six source to a 6 - in . pot , sown an inch from the sharpness is idealistic ; or of flats are used sow the seeds 2 in . asunder each way . Sow 3/4 in . deep . apply a moist compost of 3 parts of sieved loam , 1 part of peatmoss and 1 part of coarse Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin . encompass the mass or flats with thick layers of paper to foreclose drying out . Set a couple of mouse cakehole , for mouse get the cum irresistible . scrutinize after a workweek and as presently as the shoots appear remove the composition . pee if necessary , and after a mean solar day or two start to give plenty of ventilation on all suitable twenty-four hours .
When the plant have four leaves hook out the growing points to stimulate side shoots . When these are 1.5 in . long , harden off the plant by placing the pots or flats in a skeletal frame or under the south wall of the nursery .
When sowing directly outdoors the seeds may be sown 3/4 in . thick , like garden peas . Always put down slug killer .
Planting
Never set out works raised in the glasshouse until the dirt on the plot has been reduced to a okay tilth . Then erect the cane if the plants are to be grown cordon elan . A secure financial support at each ending of each row will be necessary , with a cross - bar at a top of 5 ft . treble rows , 2 ft . asunder , are serious , as this helps when it is time to layer . Stretch potent wire from the end of each cross - bar , insert 8 ft . grandiloquent cane , 7 in . aside and secure them to the telegram .
Using a trowel , make holes to get the works on the exterior of each cane , to alleviate layer . If the plants are to be in circles , they should be planted inside the lap of coppice . If a rophy of gauze is to be made , plant first and surround with the gauze . scatter the roots and return the grunge , so that it just covers the white leash of the plant . If a flora has a dark-brown collar , reject it . It may develop to a height of 3 or 4 ft . and then burst . Always surround each plant with small twigs . Black thread stretched across the twigs will dissuade boo .
The Climbing Plants
May is a month of vigorous growth . The cordon plants by now will have been restricted to a solitary stem by slay the weaker of the side shoot , of which there may be three or more . Tie in the early stages , very slackly , using Raphia . At 1 ft . in tiptop the big sweet pea plant metal rings may be used . Pinch out side shoot and tendrils to channel the saphead into the one fore .
When the plants are grown ‘ naturally ’ side shoots are left alone and the tendrils are not removed .
Watering
Never allow the land or the plants to become wry . piddle the former and spray the latter .
Bud-drop
Early in the season buds which should develop into flowers sometimes assume a frozen show and dangle off . This is not a disease and finally nature will counterbalance the trouble . It will even come , on affair , in the eye of the flowering season . It is cause by hot day and cold nights , or excessive rain , and there is nothing to worry about .
Kneeingor LayeringThere is a chore only for the cordon - agriculturist , and a somewhat bewildering one for those who tackle it for the first sentence . If possible , it is best to call a local grower and facilitate him layer his works . Broadly speaking , when the industrial plant are 5 or 6 ft . tall , six plants are come away from their canes and drawn out at an angle of 45 ° , the next six , in ordering , are placed where the first six have been and so on decently to the end of the three-fold run-in , until there are six vacant canes left , for the first six detach to fill . This signify deform the corners at the two end of the row and great care is needed . But the grow dot of each works should pillow near the cane up which you demand it to climb .
The stems are lay in a rowing stuffy to the line of canes . Each plant will lift up its header within a few hours and within three days it will be potential to start the bind operation again . Flower stems at first will be sophisticate and should be veer off , but once the industrial plant have get a foot or so up the canes , if they are kept tied , the base will be just as straight as previously , and there is still another 6 foot . or more of cane for them to climb .
The Natural Method
Since only exhibitor take flowers with very foresightful bow , the soft method is togrow the plants much as garden peasare grown , with copse or netting for support . Four or five times as many blooms may be cut . Keep the plant smoke - free , kill the aphid and , above all , keep cutting the flowers .
FeedingIf the land was well inclined in the winter , feed should hardly be necessary . However , if the flush stems are short , give the plant a limpid provender .
ExhibitingSpecial vases are occupy to the brim , quite hard , with slurred bulrush . The vase is thoroughly soaked in a bucket of H2O . The stems of sweet-scented peas are arranged in the shape of a lover . expo perfumed peas are straight of stem , and with four , five or six florets equally placed . Gappy blooms should be avoided , as should any that have been mark .
Choosing VarietiesThe most popularsweet pea is the ‘ Herbert Spencer ’ which growstall , has exceptionally retentive stem , and bear 4 - 6 florets per root . ‘ Galaxy Hybrids ’ also magniloquent growing , will carry as many as nine or more florets per root , but they are not so nicely place . The shorter case known as ‘ Knee - Hi ’ maturate into a nice President Bush , call for little support , and will reach a height of 4 1/2 ft . with stems about 1 foot . long . Some midget type are less useful if swing - bloom are required ; ‘ Little Sweetheart ’ multifariousness turn to 1 ft . and ` Color Carpet ’ 6 in . ‘ Bijou ’ and ‘ Dwarf Pigmy ’ will sometimes grow to a height of 3 foot . but the flower halt are scant .
Recommended Sweet Pea Varieties
The pursual is a list of ‘ Spencer ’ sweet peas , good exposition varieties and also splendiferous for decorative determination , chosen from hundreds of list variety . Where two or three of the same coloration are bring up there is not much to choose between them . clean : ‘ White Leamington ’ ; ‘ White Ensign ’ ; “ Majesty ’ . Cream : ‘ Hunter ’s Moon ’ ; ‘ Margot ’ . Picotee : ‘ Selena ’ ; ‘ Tell Tale’ . Pale Blue : ‘ Cambridge ’ ; ‘ Larkspur’ . Mid - low : ‘ Noel Sutton’ . Deep Blue : ‘ Blue Velvet” . Lavender : ‘ Leamington ’ ; ‘ Harmony ’ . Mauve : ‘ Mauve Leamington ” ; ‘ Reward ’ . Salmon Pink ( white ground ): ‘ Splendour ’ ; ‘ Superfine ’ . Salmon Pink ( pick soil ): ‘ regal Flush ’ ; ‘ Philip Simons ’ . Almond - blossom Pink : “ Southbourne ” . Orange - Cerise : ‘ Herald ’ ; ‘ Clarion ’ ; ‘ Alice Hardwick ’ . red : ‘ Firebrand ’ . Crimson : ‘ Gipsy Queen . Maroon : ‘ Milestone ’ . Carmine : ‘ Rosemary Govan’ . There are not many ‘ Galaxy ’ or more nanus mixed bag from which to choose ; their colors are generally designate by their names .
