We have included a complimentary box of sweet pea seeds with every order in the hope that you will plant and grow the sweet peas to provide a rich source of nectar as a ‘Thank you’ to the bees.
Sweet Peas are one of the most versatile plants you can grow. Train them up a trellis, pergola or obelisk, or support them with canes in large pots. They bring height and colour to borders and their scented blooms can be used as cut flowers.
Indoor sowing: - Sow indoors from early winter onwards. Overwintering young plants in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. This method can create stronger healthier plants, plant out in early spring (avoiding frosty nights)
Outdoor the Sowing: - Sow the seeds directly into the ground in early spring, although the results are generally less satisfactory than indoor sowing.
Mother Gilboy’s Planting Tip
Start saving your cardboard toilet roll tubes and place them upright in a large seed tray.
Fill the tubes to the top with cutting/seed compost and plant two seeds in each tube to a depth of 1cm and water them in.
When the seedlings reach a height of approximately 10 cm, pinch out the lead shoot, this will encourage side shoots which will hopefully promote more flowers for you and the bees.
Keeping the sweet peas in the cardboard tubes, plant in well manured rich soil and in direct sunlight if possible. Train them up a supporting structure such as garden canes or trellis. Keep them well watered and feed once they start flowering.
*Sweet peas seeds extend a long tap root into the soil. It sends out horizontal roots from this main shoot and this is how the plant creates a good healthy root system. Cardboard toilet roll tubes are perfect for this purpose. Also being biodegradable they can be planted directly in the soil.
*MOTHER’S TOP TIP
Pick the flowers daily to promote flowering and avoid the plant going to seed.