Episode 79: Sweet Peas with Simon Crawford
In this episode Hilary and guest expert Simon Crawford, of Owls Acre Seed, discuss just about everything you need to know to grow gorgeous sweet peas!
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SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, we discuss:
Sweet pea varieties
Ideal growing conditions
Pinching
Plant spacing
Fertilization
Seed saving
Important Take-aways:
Sweet peas are originally from the Mediterranean, so they thrive in mild, dry conditions.
Sweet peas varieties are generally organized into the following categories:
Spencers (types shown in photos): Long stems, great for cut flowers
Heirlooms: Heavily scented
Early flowering: Best types for growing in warmer climates
Dwarf: Well suited for containers and hanging baskets
Most sweet pea plants require trellising! Bamboo tri-pod trellises and the Freyr trellis work well, or you can plant along a fence, wall, or pea net. Not matter how you trellis, you'll need to tie your sweet peas just as you do with your edible peas.
Pinching sweet pea seedlings at the 3rd leaf node from the base of the plant will help encourage branching. This will result in more blooms, but they may have shorter stems than the non-pinched plant.
Bud drop occurs when plants are too wet or growing in low light conditions.
Soap sprays, like Safers, will help keep aphids off of sweet peas.
Check out the following blogs and podcast episodes for more on growing flowers:
Our favorite books on growing flowers:
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Guest Expert Feature:
Simon Crawford
Simon is a plant breeder and seedsman that has been particularly interested in sweet peas for many years. He passed that interest on to his daughter, Elizabeth who now owns and runs Owls Acre Seed. Owls Acre Seed is a UK based seed house based that specializes in sweet pea seed.
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.