An autumn sowing of sweet peas will out-flower a spring one by weeks, for very little extra effort.
Sweet peas are grown as an annual for cut flowers, and an autumn sowing produces stronger, earlier-flowering plants than waiting until spring. They need cutting hard and often — leaving a few flowers to set seed pods will stop the whole plant flowering within days.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | Sow in February | Sow in March | Sow in October | Sow in November | ||||||||
| Harvest | Harvest in June | Harvest in July | Harvest in August | Harvest in September | ||||||||
| Job | Job in April |
Care details
- Sow February – March
Or sow indoors now for a simpler, single-round start.
- Job In April
Pinch out the growing tip once seedlings have a few pairs of leaves, to force bushy growth from the base.
- Harvest June – September
Cut hard and often — a sweet pea left to set seed pods stops flowering within days.
- Sow October – November
Sow now for stronger, earlier-flowering plants than a spring sowing.
Growing tips & common problems
- Pinch out the growing tip early, once seedlings have two or three pairs of leaves, to force bushy growth.
- Cut flowers hard and often — a sweet pea left to set even a few seed pods will stop flowering within days.
- Water at the base and mulch well; sweet peas are thirsty plants that stop flowering quickly if they dry out.
Grows well with
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