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Growing
Sweet Peas
Getting Started
Germination
Rates
Growing
On
Cultivation
Feeding
Watering
Tying
Cutting
Weeding
Problems
Containers
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Cultivation
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Feeding |
Many people ask what fertilizer to use.
It is the hardest question for me to answer. Two years ago I used
a slow-release fertilizer and found that it was out of synchrony with
the rapidly growing plants. Last year I used Miracle Grow and,
while my plants were healthy, there seemed to be too much vegetative
growth and not enough flowers. This year I am trying Peter's
Blossom Booster. I am applying low dosage. I would like to
hear what others are doing and how it works.
Sweet peas are legumes. As such, they fix nitrogen from the air
and should not require a lot of fertilizer. |
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Watering |
| I use ooze hoses. My sweet peas are
planted in double rows on either side of the garden structure. The
ooze hose is placed down the middle of the two rows. This system
works great! The water goes where it is needed. The roots
are kept nice and cool. Weeds between the rows do not
germinate. |
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Tying |
click on picture |
In the picture on the left the strings used
to tie the plants are not visible, but they are there.
If you want your flowers to have straight stems, you will have to tie
your plants to their supporting structure. The method I use is more
practical than aesthetic. When the plants are about 18" tall I take
a ball of cotton string and, beginning at one end of a row, I secure it
to the chicken wire 12" above the ground. (Remember that the
chicken wire is 12" above ground, so this means the string is at
the bottom of the chicken wire). I walk down the row, ‘corral’ the
plants, and tie the string to the wire every 3’ or so, until I reach
the end of the row. I repeat this process every week or two, depending
on how fast the plants are growing, throughout the season. |
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Cutting Flowers |
| Sweet peas are annuals. In order to keep
them blooming, you must cut them regularly. Such a problem!
I cut mine early in the morning or late in the evening and bring them
immediately into the house. Handled this way, the flowers last
about 5 days. I have heard of people who manage to keep them fresh
for a week. If one of you is reading this please tell me what you
are doing. |
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Weeding |
| Look at it this way. It's great for the
legs- doing all of those squats! |
