Q . What is the best time to sow sweet pea seeds? Indoors or out? Can they be seeded in the fall? What are your favourite sweet peas?
A. I’ve not yet tried outdoor autumn seedings of sweet peas , but I plan to this year. Sources I’ve accessed indicate that around mid-October is an ideal timing.
Autumn outdoor sweet pea seeding works well for some gardeners in mild-winter coastal areas. Where it succeeds, the result is the formation of extensive root systems and, depending on the weather, sturdy growth beginning as early as late winter and the development of strong, robust plants.
The degree of success in this venture will depend on winter weather and soil conditions. Highly compacted, winter-wet clay soils would be problematic. Ideal is a site with a light-textured, sandy soil that drains rapidly of excess moisture.
Excellent plants can also be produced from a February or early March indoor seeding and transplanting as conditions permit in the spring. A third option is seeding outdoors in March, or as early in spring as possible.
West Coast Seeds lists a good selection of sweet pea varieties. For autumn sowing they suggest Mammoth Blend for the earliest blooms. To extend the season of flowers, the Late Spencer Blend would be an appropriate choice. The Royal Family Blend is a good old reliable standard. The plants begin flowering after the Mammoth mix and before the Spencers.
Spencer Ripple, which is among the most fragrant of sweet peas, bears artfully streaked blooms in dark colours against pale backgrounds. In the formal classification of sweet pea flower types, this streaked style is known as “Flake.”
I have found some of the heritage sweet peas the least demanding of perfect growing conditions. They have smaller, but very fragrant, flowers. An example is Painted Ladies in pink and white. Matucana in violet and maroon is another.
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