Sweet Peas – Sowing in Autumn

There are many benefits to sowing sweet peas in the autumn rather than waiting for the spring. Sow in October and your sweet peas will have all autumn and spring to grow and develop a strong root system. In March, the plants should be compact, bushy and ready to go when many people are just sowing spring seed. This results in stronger spring growth, earlier flowering, longer flowering and also larger flowers.

We have Mr Fothergill’s or Sarah Raven Seed Collections with a range of different sweet pea seeds in our shop.

We recommend sowing in John Innes Enriched Compost in pots, grow tubes or root-trainers rather than in trays (which are too low) or straight into the soil (which is too risky). Sweet peas are hardy so can be grown outside near a warm wall or in a cool greenhouse or cold-frame but be careful they don’t get too hot on sunny autumn days or dry out.

Keep them free of mice and slugs and keep them watered and you should get good strong sweet pea plants come the spring.  However, if you prefer, we will have sweet peas in pots in the spring! Pop in and pick some up.