Sweet pea FAQs

Grow your aromatic sweet peas to their full potential with a little help from our FAQs... 

What will I receive?
The collection contains six multi-sown plugs (right) and a minimum of twenty seedlings in total. We’d recommend planting three multi-sown plugs in each basket, which provides at least ten seedlings per basket.

How big does each sweet pea plant grow to?
Each individual seedling will grow to about 15cm (6") in height and have a spread of 30cm - 46cm (12” - 18”). If you plant three plugs per basket, the display will reach about 15cm (6") in height and around 60cm (24") in width.
 
How many blooms are there per plant?
You'll enjoy literally hundreds of scented blooms per basket.

Are sweet peas perennial? 
No, sweet peas are hardy annuals.   

How long will my sweet peas flower for?
They'll flower for 4 - 6 weeks from the time you receive them up until the autumn. 

Can you plant them outside straight away?
Your sweet peas will be despatched to you, complete with the baskets, in the week starting Monday 9th March 2009. Although sweet peas are hardy, the baskets are best planted up as soon as you receive them and then kept in a light, frost-free environment for up to six weeks before putting outside. Alternatively, plant your sweet peas outside and use a fleece to protect them from any frosts until they're established.

How can they be planted?
This sweet pea collection is designed to be grown together. However, the butterfly baskets and brackets can be used to display any plants suited to hanging baskets. Likewise, you can plant the sweet pea seedlings in small containers on the patio, in window boxes or in existing hanging baskets.  

What's the best position to plant sweet peas?
Once your sweet peas are established, leave the hanging baskets outside in a sunny or part-sunny position.

Which way up should I put them in the ground?
Roots go downwards, green shoots upwards.

How deep do I plant the plugs?
Plant the multi-sown plugs so that the top of the plug is just below the surface of the compost in the basket. Firm in the plugs and water well.

What soil do they like?
You can plant sweet peas in any general purpose or peat-free growing media.

What fertiliser should I use?
After you've read the full cultural notes before planting, we would recommend adding some of Hayloft's long term fertiliser (left) to the compost. The nutrients in the compost will establish the plants for the first 4 - 6 weeks, then the long term fertiliser will release in late summer. In the meantime, add some liquid feed once a week when watering such as Richard Jackson’s Flower Power.        

How often do sweet peas need watering?
While the plants are establishing, we would recommend watering once or twice a week. Once the basket is full and flowering, you must water them once a day, or even twice a day when it's very hot and windy.   

Should I dead head my sweet peas?
Your sweet peas will flower more in response to cutting. So why not cut some of the small stems to create scented posies in the home? Dead heading will also encourage more flowers. 

How long will they last in their container?
Your plants are delivered by First Class post and are packed in a specially designed ‘greenhouse’ made from recycled plastic. When you receive it, open the plastic greenhouse and stand up the plants so that the greenhouse becomes a saucer. Assuming the sweet peas are gently watered, they will be fine for up to two weeks before planting in the accompanying hanging baskets. Ideally, we would recommend planting the plants in the baskets as soon as you receive them, although we realise this isn't always possible.

Are sweet peas poisonous to cats?  
No.

Sound good? Then view our sweet pea selection

See our range of plants and flowers

Comments

[Carol]

it is October snd th clocks go back Sunday, and my swwetpeas are still growing.. over 6ft tall an very pretty .. how tempertures have changed in a matter of a year or so ..

[Lynn Wilkins]

I have been really lucky with my sweet peas. Have had numerous flowers and is still flowering. I have saved some of the seed pods and would like to know how I go about growing new stock from them Many thanks.

[Debbie A]

Really disappointed! I planted these up, and they started to shoot. They did not really grow that well, had a few flowers, but they were 'stunted' no way could they have been picked and put in a vase! Then within a week, they started to go yellow and died off.... just have two empty baskets now. Did try to contact the distributor but no answer.

[miss d singh]

hi i brought the tsv and my plant hav done really well but at the moment they arnt lookin so good they havent grow very well and the leaves hav e gone a yellow colour and wen i took the dead flowers of there was like a pea pod am not sure hat to do with them now could you please give me any help thanks debra

[DOROTHY HUDSON]

WHEN I WATERED MY SWEETPEAS THIS MORNING THE WATER RAN STRAIGHT THROUGH THE BASKETS WHY IS THIS AND WHAT CAN I DO TO SOLVE PROBLEM BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT THEM TO DIE.

[Sue Johnson]

When you were talking about the TSV (2 Butterfly hanging baskets plus Sweet Peas)the brackets to the hanging baskets were attached to a Metal stand & someone sent a message asking where she could get the stand & you mentioned a website, unfortunately my TV chose that moment to loose the signal, so I missed the website address & as I would like to get a couple of those stands could you please let me know the website & would I be able to use it for the Babylon Bowls.
Thank you
Sue Johnson

[Joan Burrows]

Could Richard please tell me how long these sweet peas will last for when I cut them to put in a vase. In the past I have noticed that sweet peas never last for longer than 3 days. Is there anything that could help to preserve them for a few more days. I feel so guilty when I cut them to bring indoors, knowing I have shortened their lives. Kind Regards, Joan

[EILEEN HALE]

Have never planted sweet peas before, so I am looking forward to these blooming. The butterfly brackets and hanging baskets are exceptional value. Once again QVC has done the deal.

[DIANE BURGESS]

AS ALWAYS RICHARD A FANTASTIC TSV, LOVE SWEET PEAS AND THIS COLLECTION IS SUPERB. CANT WAIT TO RECIEVE MY TWO SETS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT TSV ALREADY. BEST WISHES DIANE