What to do with sweet peas

Sow more and care for seedlings

- Ruth Hayes

Keep sowing sweet peas for prolific flowers and scent this summer

TO my way of thinking, there is no such thing as 'too many sweet peas', which is why I am continuing to sow a fresh batch every few weeks.

I'm also keeping an eye on the seedlings that have germinated from seeds sown earlier. These need watering when their compost feels dry to the touch and protecting from pests - in the greenhouse watch out for aphids and in a cold frame keep your eyes peeled for slugs, snails and even crafty mice that will pinch the seeds.

Pinch out seedlings for bushy growth

Continue to pinch out long stems, too. This encourages the plants to create bushy side shoots that will develop more flowers through the summer. It also stops stems becoming leggy and tangled, which can lead to fungal infections such as botrytis grey mould.

Botrytis on leggy sweet peas