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Q. Is it too late to plant sweet peas? Which varieties are most fragrant?
A. Sweet peas can be planted from early fall through late winter depending on what time of year you want them to bloom. If you want early spring bloom, August through September is best. For early summer bloom, plant the seeds between November and January.
Sweet peas are a good choice for the Bay Area. They like our alkaline soils and deep watering once a week if it doesn’t rain. The large seeds can be planted directly where you would like them to grow, but note that snails and slugs are fond of the seedlings. Use an iron phosphate bait to eliminate the pests without harming wildlife or pets.
Plant about 1 inch deep and about 1 inch apart in well-prepared soil. Dig in aged compost to a 12 inch depth for the best results. The seeds often take about a month to germinate. There is some debate about the need to soak the seeds overnight to facilitate germination, but some gardeners swear by it. The seeds can be started in pots indoors. The vines will need some form of support as in a trellis or fence. Like Clematis they are happiest with their feet in the shade and their heads in the sun. Fertilize lightly every couple of weeks or mulch with grass clippings (dried), which are a good source of slow-release nitrogen.
Keeping the flowers cut for indoor bouquets will keep them
blooming for longer periods of time. A note of caution: This is not an edible flower, as both the
flowers and seeds are poisonous. With breeding the plants now offer one of the
widest color ranges with exception of true blue and clear yellow, as solids,
flaked, streaked and bicolor arrangements. The fragrance varies, with the
strongest coming from some of the older varieties such as the “Eckford” lines. “Old Spice Mix”, “Perfume Delight” and “April
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