Sweet peas are a very beautiful annual climbing plant , used most often for ornamental gardening of balconies, terraces, arbours, fences and so on. Depending on the variety, peas can grow to different heights, maximum - 2 meters.
In addition to beauty, peas give an amazing aroma. The flowers of the plant are very numerous and the flowering lasts a long time, throughout the summer period. The color spectrum is very wide - from white, pink to brown.
Growing flowers sweet pea
Planting and caring for fragrant peas assumes knowledge of some features. For example, the soil for growing this flower should be fertile and neutral in acidity. Also make sure that it is well ventilated. On heavy and overmoistened soils sweet peas grow poorly.
When choosing a place for planting, you should know that the plant likes windless, open and very sunny places. If within a day there is a sharp change of temperatures, peas can lose buds and flowers.
As the plant twists, it needs support. To polka dots pleased you with abundant flowering, provide him with quality watering in hot weather, regular weeding and fertilizer are also needed.
How to plant sweet peas?
If you want to grow sweet peas from seeds, you can buy ready-made in the store, and you can collect it yourself. To do this, you need to grow a plant from seedlings, leave it with 5-10 peduncles with pods, remove the remaining flowers on the bush. In the pods, the seeds will be tied. If this does not happen, the reason for this is a sharp temperature drop.
Sow the seeds in the open ground in early spring. Note that before the flowering peas must be well rooted. If you plan to first sprout seedlings, you need to sow seeds soaked for 24 hours in three pots in a pot. The first shoots will see in a week. Start sowing them in February. Adult saplings in the end of May are planted in the soil.
Fertilizer for sweet pea
Because peas like rich soil, it must be prepared before planting. To do this, fertilize it with compost or manure to a depth of 15 cm. If the earth is heavy, you need to drain it. Observe the state of humidity - if after a rain or watering the ground absorbs water for a long time, this means that it is not sufficiently drained. Ideally, moisture should be absorbed in a matter of seconds.
Fertilize every month to keep it flowering throughout the summer. For this, manure, compost or potash fertilizer can be used.
How to grow sweet peas?
As already mentioned above, peas are a curly plant, which, thanks to its antennae, clings to the support and rises upwards. The support can be the walls of the gazebo, a fence, specially made-up decorative structures. Decorate with this wicker flower you can do anything.
The stem of a sweet pea is a liana, which in height reaches from 25 cm to 2 meters. The first flowers on the plant appear 2-3 months after the first shoots. The flower itself is like a boat with sails. By the way, parts of the flower are called - sail, oars and a boat.
Flowers of sweet pea should be regularly plucked. They should not be regretted, as new buds will grow in their place and this will ensure a long flowering period. Cut flowers produce excellent bouquets, boutonniere, they can be used as components for creating complex ikebans.