SWEET PEA PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS – Please read these instructions to ensure good germination of your Sweet Pea’s!

• Traditional types of this lovely, old-fashioned annual, which were first promoted in England during the Victorian era, may develop vines up to six feet or more in length.
• Heirloom sweet peas prefer alkaline, well-drained soil that has been amended with compost or manure.
• To expedite germination, soak seeds for up to 24 hours before sowing and nick the seed casing.
• Because sweet peas (like most peas) are cool-weather plants, they should be planted as soon as the soil can be worked so that they may get the most out of their growth season before the summer heat wilts them.
• They may be planted in late fall in USDA zones 8 and up, and seeds don't need to be soaked or nicked.
•  It may be preferable to grow seeds indoors and transplant out if you live in a zone below 6.
• Germination can take up to two weeks, but as the first twining tendrils begin to snake their way upward, your patience will be rewarded.
• Ensure that vining crops have plenty of support.
• Heirloom sweet pea plants in the north should be planted in full sun, while those in the south may require some shade in the afternoon.
• Plants will bloom in the early to mid-spring and may bloom into the summer in milder areas.
• Pinch off the core stem of plants after they reach six inches to encourage them to spread out.
• To preserve the plant generating new blossoms, remove any withering flowers and any seed pods that emerge. Mulch generously over the roots to keep them cool, or use a groundcover plant like Johnny Jump Up Seeds or Blue Carpet Lobelia Seeds to lengthen their flowering season.