How to Germinate Sweet Pea Seeds

Sweet peas have delicate, colorful blossoms.

Cool-season sweet peas add color to spring and fall gardens. They thrive in temperatures below 80 degrees F, producing an abundance of annual flowers. Related to edible peas, sweet peas come in both vine and bush varieties. Vine types are suitable for planting near trellises, fences and other supports. Bush varieties add color to beds and borders as well as to containers and baskets. Sweet peas are direct sown into the garden bed where they then germinate and sprout if they are planted properly.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Fertilizer
• Bowl
• Diatomaceous earth

Instructions

1. Lay a 4-inch layer of compost over the planting area, then apply a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer at the label-recommended rate. Till the compost and fertilizer into the top 12 inches of soil to add both nutrients and to aid drainage.

2. Fill a bowl with warm tap water. Soak the sweet pea seeds in the water overnight the evening before planting. Soaking breaks dormancy, so only plant the seeds that have visibly swelled after soaking as the other seeds are not viable.

3. Plant each sweet pea seed 1 inch deep and space them 3 inches apart in either rows or clusters. Plant vine-type sweet pea seeds within 2 inches of their support so they can easily find and begin climbing it after germination.

4. Water the bed just enough so that it is evenly moist to a 6-inch depth. Continue to water the bed as needed to maintain this moisture level, usually once a week during the cooler months.

5. Build up a 1-inch ridge of diatomaceous earth, available at garden centers, around the sweet pea bed to discourage snails from attacking the seedlings once they emerge. Alternately, use slug bait following the instructions on the package.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant sweet pea seeds outdoors in fall if you have mild winters with little freezing. Otherwise, wait until the ground warms enough to work in spring. Sweet peas are generally planted at the same time you would plant edible peas.

• Sweet peas may take up to three weeks to germinate and sprout.

• Birds may feed on young sweet pea sprouts. Cover the seedlings with bird netting until the plants are 6 inches tall if birds are an issue in your garden.

References

• University of California Extension: Sweet Peas and Pansies
• Washington State University Extension: Sweet Peas--A Flower Garden Favorite