Keep sweet peas blooming

These scented beauties need constant care, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

OUR homegrown sweet peas are often hit and miss, with the emphasis usually being on the ‘miss’ rather than ‘hit’.

But this year we have been successful, keeping grey mould at bay and fending off the attentions of the slugs now they are planted out. So how do we keep them flowering and healthy through the summer?

In dry weather, regular watering is a must, as they can be prone to powdery mildew caused by dry roots and poor ventilation. Give them a good soaking a couple of times a week.

Pinch out the tendrils used for climbing as they can divert the plants’ energies from producing flowers.

Top Tip
Let seedpods form at the end of the season so you can harvest and dry seeds for next year.

I feed our plants once during the season with a granular fertiliser such as Vitax Q4. The borders where the sweet peas grow have fairly thin soil and were once home to several large shrubs, so there is little goodness left – even though we add plenty of well-rotted organic matter in autumn and spring.