Sweet pea or rank(Lathyrus odomtus) is an annual climbing plant revered by gardeners for its lush flowering and delicate aroma. Plant it in your garden - and throughout the entire season, from June until the first frost, bright flowers resembling butterflies will appear in the flowerbed.
China Great for tall buildings that need natural cover: gazebos, arches, garden trellises, wickerwork or just walls. And every gardener can choose its varieties according to his taste: with red, blue, cream, purple, variegated inflorescences (only yellow has not yet been selected).
Unusual shape pea flowers grow up to 6 cm in diameter and form a beautiful corolla of 5 petals. After flowering, the china sets fruits: beans, inside each of which 5-10 round-shaped seeds are formed.
Although due to the peculiarities of our climate, peas adapted perfectly, and even 5-degree frosts are tolerated relatively easily, but during a sharp autumn cold snap the fruits may not set - the flowers will simply fall off before they have time to form an ovary.
It's always creates inconvenience for gardeners keen on growing peas, because they are propagated exclusively by seeds. Therefore, in a “fruitful” year, it is better to carefully collect the beans, dry them and store them properly - this way they will be able to sprout even after 3-4 years.
Seeds sweet peas are most often sown directly into flower beds, in open ground. Sometimes, for earlier flowering, this crop is grown as seedlings, although this method is much more troublesome.
Preparing and sowing seeds for seedlings
Seeds of rank preparation is required before planting. Soak them for 24 hours in hot water(+50+70 degrees). The ideal time for this is the end of April - beginning of May.
Important Note: Only brown and gray-brown seeds can be soaked, and beige and other light-colored beans die during this treatment.
All substandard seeds soon will emerge to the surface. They need to be collected and discarded, and selected full-bodied beans should be washed, wrapped in soft cloth and placed in a moist environment for germination.
Straightaway after germination(this will happen in 2-3 days) the seed is planted in separate containers with nutritious soil, deepened by 2-3 cm. The composition of the soil should be neutral or slightly acidic (a regular substrate for flowers will do). For good germination and development, peas need systematic watering, a lot of light and a fairly high air temperature (+18+20 degrees).
When young shoots will begin to grow intensively (after the formation of the first 3 leaves), it is recommended to pinch the top to stimulate the growth of side shoots and the formation of a lush bush.
Planting peas You can go into open ground as early as mid-May. Do this carefully - young plants are very fragile and their root system is very weak. Therefore, it is best to carefully replant them together with a lump of earth or sow them in peat pots in advance.
Sowing in open ground
From moment of sowing When beans from peas are planted in open ground, it takes 2-3 months before flowering, so the cultivation of this crop can begin as early as April. Short-term nighttime drops in temperature during this period only strengthen and harden it.
Choosing a place for sweet peas you need to pay Special attention: only sun and no large dense trees nearby, much less drafts.
This flower so fragile that it can break or bend even with a slight breeze. If you plant it in the shade, the flowering will be sparse and short.
In a special soil composition peas do not need: any neutral, light and fertile soil will do.
Young plants chins very quickly turn into lush bushes, so when planting, keep a distance between them of about 30 cm. After the seedlings appear, do not forget to pinch them to form a lush crown and lush flowering (the same as when growing seedlings).
At first rank doesn't give a mustache, so it needs to be guided by carefully tying it to a support or a special mesh. When the plant gets stronger and begins to cling to the support itself, turning into a beautiful hedge, he will no longer need your help.
Like many flowers, peas accepts mineral fertilizers better than organic fertilizers. Fresh manure can simply burn its roots, so apply organic matter carefully.
Watering peas need to be done systematically, trying to prevent the soil from drying out.
If you want to achieve long flowering, do not let the seeds ripen: after the flowers dry, carefully cut them off.
To obtain quality planting material bushes need to be prepared in advance.
Leave 9-10 large buds on the plant, remove the rest, then you will get selected seeds that can be stored on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator for several years. Every year plant peas in a new place.
Grow seedlings ranks are better in the greenhouse. Due to the lack of light in the apartment, plants can stretch out and weaken. If possible, plant beans in peat pots - this way you will minimize damage to the plant and root system when planting in open ground.
After soaking each bean can be carefully pierced with a needle in several places or scratched a little (for better germination). Apply fertilizing every 2 weeks throughout the summer season.
If suddenly peas threw off his buds– most likely this happened due to a sharp difference in day and night temperatures. Also, the reason for the dropping of buds can be excessive or insufficient moisture.
Better quality planting material is provided by specimens grown from seedlings.
Like all legumes, sweet pea is able to increase soil fertility: its roots react with nodule bacteria, facilitating the absorption of nitrogen from the air. Thus, the plant can provide useful substances itself, while simultaneously contributing to the enrichment of the soil after the decomposition of the root system.
So, sweet peas will not only lift your spirits with their bright blooms, but also bring invaluable benefits to the site.
And for those who like to know more, we suggest you watch the video about sweet peas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iaZhCI27T8
Another plant for vertical gardening.
Gee, there's a verse :)
I plant it every year. Grows well.
I collected seeds from him, my beloved, but they became my peas with some kind of lack of color and so I bought the seeds again.
Here are my seeds in the picture on the right.
They probably smell really good. Unfortunately, after my illness, I have trouble with my sense of smell. I take the word of my guests, friends and children that it smells wonderful.
Well, now the theory.
DESCRIPTION
Title and History: The Latin word for sweet pea is Lathyrus odomtus. The word "latyrus" was first used by Theophrastus and comes from the ancient Greek name consisting of "la" - very and "thoures" - attractive. The plant was noticed more than 300 years ago by the Sicilian monk Francisco Cupani, who, while walking in the evening near the walls of his monastery located on the coast Mediterranean Sea, caught an unusually strong aroma of this flower. Hence the second half of the name - fragrant ("odoratus"). The monk collected the seeds and sent them in 1699 to England, to his friend Robert Uvedal, a school teacher from Middlesex County. This is the main version of the history of the origin of this flower culture.
Description: Sweet pea, or sweet pea, belongs to the genus Lathyrus, legume family (Fabaceae). The botanical characteristics of this species were first given by the famous Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The root system of sweet peas is taprooted, highly branched, penetrating into the soil to a depth of one and a half meters.
RULES FOR GROWING SWEET PEAS
- Because of their dense shell, it is better to soak pea seeds in hot water for a couple of hours before planting, and then germinate them in a damp cloth in a warm place. However, some varieties of sweet peas are particularly light in color, cream or white, and must be planted dry in open ground, as they usually die when soaked.
- Choose the sunniest places to plant peas. Planted in the shade, sweet peas will bloom, but much later and the flowering will not be as abundant as in full sun.
- The soil for planting needs to be fertile, moderately moist, non-acidic (pH up to 7.5).
- Start gartering as early as possible, this will speed up the rate of growth. Remember to point the polka dots in the correct direction so that your wattle fence, fence or trellis is braided evenly, use twine or mesh if necessary.
- Watering is required regular and abundant.
- If you remove fading inflorescences in time, you will extend the flowering period of sweet peas almost until the end of September.
- If everything worked out well and you liked growing sweet peas as an ornamental aromatic plant, then next year try to plant it in a new place. If this does not work, then at least replace the top layer of soil at the planting site and do not forget about regular fertilizing.
So:
IN middle lane In Russia, sweet peas are grown through seedlings, for which the seeds are soaked overnight in hot water (60-80 ° C) in mid-March. Then the swollen seeds are sown 2-3 pieces in peat pots filled with an earthen mixture consisting of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:0.5. Shoots appear in 4-7 days. In the phase of two or three true leaves, the seedlings are pinched, removing the growing point, as a result of which a large number of lateral shoots are formed and the plant blooms more abundantly.
REMEMBER, THAT:
Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in mid-May at a distance of 20-25 cm. For tall varieties, it is necessary to install supports. Remember that sweet peas can be grown in one place for only a year and returned to their original place only after 4-5 years. When planting seedlings, fresh organic fertilizers (manure) should not be applied, as the plants may die from fungal diseases.
VIDEO
Ganichkina advises:)
SOURCES
Sweet peas, as sweet peas are more often called, are grown on garden plots for vertical gardening, for decorating summer gazebos and terraces and just for fun. This article tells you what rules you should follow when planning to start growing a flower.
Description of the flower with photo
For the first time, it was in 1696 in Italy, sweet peas were discovered by the botanist Kupani. From there it was brought to England, and over 300 years of breeding, specialists managed to develop more than 1,000 varieties of fragrant china.
A special feature of peas is that their strong shoots can reach two or more meters. Cleverly clinging to the supports with their tendrils, the stems stretch upward, creating a picturesque vertical carpet. Pea flowers are collected in inflorescences that bloom one after another, and this makes flowering constant.
The flower itself is very similar to a sailing boat with oars. By the way, individual parts of the flower are called exactly that: sail, oars, boat.
However, the liana-like plant has a dwarf form, the height of which is about 30 cm. Such a flower does not need support.
Sweet peas bloom two months after germination and continue to delight the gardener with the brightness of the inflorescences throughout the warm season.
After the petals wither, a fruit is formed, which is a bivalve bean. It contains up to 10 peas of beige or dark brown color. If you leave the first pods on the plant, they will have time to ripen, and this will make it possible to get your own seeds.
In garden culture, sweet peas are represented by two types; they can be grown as an annual crop, and there are perennial varieties. Both species are grown from seed and produce strong, ribbed shoots. The ability to cling to everything that comes your way requires mandatory support. Therefore, flower planting should be done:
- next to walls that you want to give a decorative look.
- along fences that will look like hedges.
- The open gazebo will be hidden from the hot rays of the sun by tall shoots of fragrant chin.
Perennial sweet peas are not rich in color. More often these are pink or purple flowers collected in a brush. Many strong vines reach two meters and require strong mesh support so that the plant can grow and develop freely.
The annual tree has a much more interesting color palette. The flowers of this species can be white and blue, pink, red, burgundy and blue. Annuals exude a more delicate aroma compared to perennials.
Sweet peas bloom from June until the onset of cold weather. Prefers open sunny places with fertile soil and a neutral reaction to acidity.
The stems should not be allowed to lie down as this will lead to disease and rotting.
Group of varieties "Spencer"
Variety "Sir Charles" All types of fragrant chyna are divided, in turn, into groups. Among the tall varieties, the Spencer group can be distinguished. This is a multi-stemmed plant with a shoot length close to 2.5 m. Peduncles are strong and consist of 3-5 flowers. The petal itself, or as it is called, the sail, has a wavy upper edge.
- The Aristocrat variety has a deep sweetish aroma exuded by charming white and pink flowers.
- "Sir Arthur" will decorate the garden with soft lilac sails
- "Sir Charles" - scarlet.
"Cusburston" The varieties included in the "Kazburston" group are distinguished by their multi-flowered nature. There are up to 8 pieces in a brush. The stems of the plant are long, which makes it popular in garden design. Plus, it looks amazing when cut.
On a note. It should be remembered that bouquets of sweet peas are best formed after all the buds in the cluster have bloomed. This is due to the property of the flower “not to spread its sails” when cut.
"Royal" The Royal group consists of varieties early date flowering. They have large flowers, and the color of the upper petal can be delicate (white, pink) or rich (bright red, lavender blue).
Low-growing varieties, also known as dwarf varieties, are also divided into groups.
Group "Bijou"
"Bijou" "Bijou." Plants of this group are distinguished by large flowers and bright colors. The height of the bush is about 30 cm, the flowering is abundant.
Group "Pink Cupid"
"Pink Cupid" Peas from the Pink Cupid group are characterized by a wavy edge of the upper petal. Its color can be white or soft pastel colors, blue-lilac or pale blue, pink or red. The height of the flower does not exceed 30 cm.
Flowers from both groups described above can be used for flower beds, borders and cut flowers.
"Fantasy" “Fantasy” is a group of varieties that have a miniature height. Growing no more than 20 cm, they serve as an ideal border edging and are used as ground cover.
Low flowers create bright colorful mats on the site and fill the air with a subtle aroma of beauty.
The fragrant china is grown by sowing seeds in open ground or by seedlings.
For open ground we can sow both in spring and before winter. Due to their cold resistance, the seeds overwinter safely in the ground, and with the onset of warmth they begin to germinate.
Sowing before winter
Pre-winter sowing has a number of advantages compared to growing a flower through seedlings. First of all, this lies in their resilience:
- seedlings from autumn sowings are not afraid of spring temperature changes
- they are more adapted to the stress of transplantation
- differ lush flowering throughout the entire summer season
Autumn sowing is carried out with the onset of frost, but the soil must be ready at least 2 weeks before. It is loosened well, weed roots are removed and leveled. In the finished bed, grooves are cut up to 5 cm deep. Seeds are placed in them at a distance of 3-5 cm, covered with dry soil and compacted well. In spring, seedlings will appear with the onset of stable warmth.
At the same time, seeds sown in the ground at the end of April or beginning of May will germinate. The sowing principle is the same, only the depth of seeding is reduced (to 2-3 cm).
However, spring sowings require more attention: it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture and in no case allow it to dry out.
It is best to cover the bed with film, this will prevent the evaporation of moisture from the surface and create a greenhouse effect.
Soil moisture and temperature within 20°C are the main components of the friendly germination of sweet pea seeds.
Seedlings
Therefore, it is preferable to sow in cups, be they peat or plastic. Then transplantation into open ground will take place with less trauma to the root system.
In the first case, the plant will practically not feel the moment of transplantation. And from a plastic container, a sweet pea bush is transferred into a hole along with a lump of native soil.
Before sowing, the seeds must go through a processing stage. First, they are calibrated and damaged ones are removed.
To determine the fullness, the seeds are immersed in a saline solution. It is prepared from 1 liter of water and 30 g of salt. The part that ended up on the surface is removed, and the remaining ones will be used for sowing. But first they need to be rinsed from salt and soaked. Soaking is carried out in hot water and lasts a day. This helps soften the dense shell of the grain.
Next, to obtain a 100% result, the seeds are germinated, wrapped in soft cloth. It should always be kept moist and in a warm place. At this stage, it is important not to miss the appearance of sprouts.
The hatched peas are distributed into cups and covered with film. After waiting for the shoots to emerge, the container is moved to a bright windowsill. Sufficient quantity sunlight will save the seedlings from stretching. For greater bushiness, pinch the sprouts at 3-5 leaves.
All the activities described above also apply to perennial varieties of fragrant china.
Planting sweet peas: video
On the 20th of May, the grown fragrant bushes can be transferred to the site. If the weather is hot, then the plantings should be shaded - this will protect the delicate leaves of the flower from burns.
When preparing a bed for sweet peas, mineral fertilizers are applied and incorporated into the soil. The soil should be loose and moisture-permeable, since the root system of the flower goes deep into a long distance. This requires abundant but infrequent watering.
The location of the fragrant tree is selected taking into account lighting and protection from the wind.
- The light-loving plant does not tolerate drafts, but can grow in light partial shade.
- When choosing a site, you should consider the possibility of installing supports for tall varieties.
- As the stems grow, they should be directed in the desired direction to create the intended composition.
Loosening and hilling are also necessary measures in caring for flowers. Hilling stimulates regrowth adventitious roots. This leads to the appearance of new shoots, and therefore to more luxuriant flowering.
Timely removal of faded flowers will help to achieve continuous blooming of buds. Otherwise, the fruit will set in the form of a pod, and the plant will switch to ripening seeds. If there are a lot of such fruits, the plant will stop setting new buds. In this case, flowering will end within one month.
But if the gardener needs to get his seeds, then a few pods should be left. During this period, it is necessary to remember that only 5-10 peas are formed in the flaps. Therefore, based on your needs, it is easy to calculate the required amount of seed material.
The seed pod is formed at the point where the flower meets the stem. This happens after the flower withers and the petals fall off. On initial stage it looks almost flat and has a green color. As the peas inside the valves increase, the pod will thicken and change color. At first it will turn yellow-green, and by the time it ripens, it will turn light brown.
This is the best time to collect seeds. The pods are picked or cut from the plant and left to dry for several days in a dry place with sufficient air. Next, they are carefully opened and the contents are poured onto a plate with sides. In this form they should stand for another 2-3 days.
The finished seed material is packaged in paper bags and stored in a dry place. Pea seeds can remain viable for 7-8 years.
The most common plant disease is powdery mildew(false and real), black leg and brown spotting.
To eliminate signs of powdery mildew, the drug “Topaz” is used. 4 ml of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water and used on 8 m2 before and after flowering.
Black leg and brown spotting are treated with the drug “Hom” (10 liters of water +40 g of product).
Maintaining crop rotation, maintaining cleanliness in the area with flowers, removing and destroying plant debris play a big role in the prevention and control of diseases. You can return the flower to its original place no earlier than after 3-4 years.
When infested by pests (aphids and root weevils), use the drug “Fitoverm”. Add 2 ml of the product to a liter of water and spray the sweet pea plantings. This amount should be enough for 10 m2.
With the onset of cold weather, the planting of perennial peas should be put in order. The stems are removed from the supports and cut at ground level. The ground is mulched with sawdust or humus. The cold-resistant plant easily tolerates the winter period, and in the spring it begins to germinate as soon as the soil thaws.
Undoubtedly, the fragrant china requires attention and care. But when it blooms and fills the air with a delicate aroma, all the worries seem insignificant. And the gardener, admiring his creativity, determines places to plant flowers in the next summer season.
Sweet pea is a plant belonging to the Chin genus of the Legume family. It can be annual or perennial. It is unpretentious in planting and care. Perennial varieties chinas have a faint pleasant odor and can grow in one place for up to 10 years. Sweet peas have angular stems and pink or purple flowers that are collected in inflorescences.
- tall;
- medium-sized;
- short.
- Alice is a variety with a delicate pink-cream-lilac color of flowers, which are collected in 4-5 pieces on long peduncles;
- Selecttsvet – a variety with burgundy-chestnut coloring;
- Cremona - corrugated fragrant flowers are cream-colored and are collected in 6-7 pieces on a peduncle.
- Lummer is a profusely flowering variety, the flowers of which are white and pink in color;
- 850th Anniversary of Moscow is a variety that does not have a mustache, with double pink flowers on a strong peduncle.
- Vera - has bright red flowers;
- Floriada - distinguished by scarlet inflorescences;
- Galina - has lilac-purple flowers.
- water;
- weed;
- fertilize;
- protect from diseases and pests.
- ascochyta;
- viral mosaic;
- root rot;
- fusarium;
- peronosporosis;
- powdery mildew.
Show all
Description
The sweet pea flower has a highly branched root system, capable of penetrating into the soil to a depth of 1.5 m. The plant, like most legumes, can enter into symbiosis with nodule bacteria that absorb nitrogen from the air. The stems of peas are climbing and weakly branched, capable of climbing a support with the help of modified leaves - branched tendrils.
The plant begins to bloom in July, and lasts for proper care until frost. The shape of the flowers resembles exotic colored butterflies. The fruits of peas are small bivalve beans with spherical seeds of greenish, yellow or black-brown color.
Varieties
Varieties of sweet pea flower are:
Tall varieties (up to 3 m) include specimens that have large bright peduncles that can reach a length of 30 cm. They are used both for cutting and for vertical gardening. These include:
Medium-sized varieties (up to 1 m):
Low-growing varieties (up to 60 cm):
Echinacea plant - growing from seeds, planting in open ground and caring for the flower
Growing
Like other plants cultivated in front gardens, it is advisable to plant sweet peas as seedlings. Climate plays an important role. If the soil in the region does not freeze, then the seeds can be planted directly into the ground.
Severe frosts can destroy young shoots, so they use the seedling method.
Sowing seeds
Growing a flower from seeds begins with the fact that it is sown as seedlings in mid-March. Since pea seeds germinate very difficult, they are soaked in water for 10–12 hours or kept in a 50-degree solution of the drug Bud. Then they should be germinated in damp sand or gauze for 2–4 days. When the seeds sprout, they need to be planted immediately.
Store-bought soils for roses and Saintpaulias are used as a substrate, or you can make your own soil mixture. To do this, take turf soil, peat and humus in a ratio of 1:2:2. These components must be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Sowing is carried out in moist soil to a depth of 2–3 cm, planting 2–3 seeds in each cup. If a common container is used for seedlings, then the distance between the seeds should be 8 cm. After sowing, the soil is watered, the pot or box is covered with film and placed on a sunny windowsill at a temperature of 18–22 degrees.
Seedling care
When, after a week or two, the seeds begin to actively grow, the film is removed from the container and taken to a room with a temperature of 15–16 degrees. The substrate should always be kept slightly moist, and the seedlings should be provided with good lighting. If it is not possible to grow seedlings on a south window, then artificial lighting is provided for them for 2–3 hours daily using a lamp daylight or phytolamp.
When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, they are pinched. This stimulates the development of side shoots. After the procedure, the seedlings are fed with Kemira solution.
Planting in open ground
Seedlings are planted in open ground in late spring. At this time, the soil is already warming up well and there is no threat of a return of frost. If the seedlings have already formed buds or flowers, then you need to tear them off so that the plant can direct its energy to the formation of the root system. 10 days before planting seedlings, hardening procedures are carried out. To do this, the pot with seedlings is taken out into the open air every day and the duration of stay is gradually increased until the seedlings can stay outside for the whole day.
Sweet peas prefer bright, warm places and moist, drained soil enriched with fertilizers. Before planting, the area is dug up to the depth of a spade with humus, compost, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Fresh manure should not be used because it promotes Fusarium wilt.
To plant seedlings, make holes at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other and plant 2–3 plants in each. If the variety is tall, then it is necessary to immediately install supports. You need to know that annual sweet peas are disposed of in the fall and it will be possible to plant them again in this area only after 4–5 years.
How to care for peas?
Caring for sweet peas is not a very labor-intensive process. To grow a plant you need:
The plant needs to be watered regularly and with enough water, otherwise, due to lack of moisture, its buds and flowers will fall off, and flowering will not last long. In dry summers, it is recommended to water sweet peas every day, using 30–35 liters of water per m2 of planting. To prolong flowering, you need to get rid of wilted flowers in time.
Tall varieties are tied to supports using mesh or twine. As the plant grows, its stems should be directed in the desired direction, after which they are tied up.
Feeding sweet peas is not necessary, but it is advisable. At the very beginning of growth, 1 tbsp is used as fertilizer. l. urea and 1 tbsp. l. nitrophosphates, which are mixed in 10 liters of water. At the beginning of flowering, peas are fed with a solution of Agricola and potassium sulfate, for the preparation of which a tablespoon of these components is mixed in 10 liters of water. At the height of flowering, the plant is fertilized with Agricola and Rossa, dissolving one tablespoon of fertilizer in a bucket of water.
Diseases and pests
Sweet peas can be affected by pests and fungal diseases. Of the pests, the most dangerous are the root weevil and different types aphids. At the beginning of the growing season, the weevil gnaws out semicircles along the edges of the leaves, and its larvae feed on the roots of the plant. As preventive measures against the pest when planting seedlings, it is necessary to pour 100 ml of a 0.1% chlorophos solution into each hole. The plants themselves are sprayed with the same solution.
Sweet peas are most often affected by pea, chin and bean aphids. These small pests are capable of sucking sap from plants, deforming their organs and infecting them with viral diseases. To destroy aphids, peas should be treated 2-3 times with Tsiram and Zineb during the growing season.
Among the diseases that affect the plant are:
With ascochyta blight, brown spots with clear boundaries appear on the stems, beans and leaves of peas. To cure the plant, it is treated with a solution of the drug Rogor.
Downy mildew and powdery mildew appear as a loose whitish coating on the stems and leaves of plants. Gradually they begin to turn yellow, turn brown and fall off. To destroy pathogens, use a 5% solution of colloidal sulfur, which is used to wash the leaves.
Signs of fusarium are yellowing and wilting leaves of sweet peas. The affected plant cannot be treated, so it is destroyed, and healthy bushes are treated with a solution of the drug Tilt. For prevention purposes, crop rotation should be observed on the site.
Root rot and black leg of peas cause the roots and root collar to darken, resulting in the death of the plant. Infected plants cannot be saved, so they are destroyed, and healthy ones are transplanted to another place, having previously disinfected the soil and roots.
If peas are infected with viral mosaic, it appears as a line pattern on the leaves, and the tops of infected plants curl and become deformed. All plants that have contracted viral diseases should be removed and burned, because they cannot be cured.
Plant in landscape design
Sweet pea is a climbing plant with big amount antennae. It blooms for a long time and has a pleasant aroma. Due to this, it is widely used in landscape design plot and garden.
Tall climbing varieties are used to decorate fences, verandas, and arches. With the help of artificial plantings and pea supports, you can well camouflage the most unsightly areas of the garden. It also looks good in the background of a flower garden.
Low varieties are grown in balcony boxes, on the edge of a border or flower bed. Peas can go well with other annuals and sit well alongside perennial plants. It makes a tangible contribution to the ecology of the garden, enriching the soil with nitrogen and providing nectar to beneficial insects.
Sweet pea or, as it is also called, sweet pea, is one of the most popular annual flowers from the legume family. Its introduction into culture dates back to approximately the seventeenth century. Until the end of the nineteenth century, its selection proceeded rather slowly. And there were about twelve varieties.
Currently, there are more than a thousand of its varieties, grouped into sixteen groups. The main groups are Spencer, Galaxy, Cuzbertson-Floribunda; dwarf Bijou and Little Sweetheart.
Sweet pea is annual plant, which is a fast-growing climbing vine. It is capable of decorating a vertical garden composition throughout the season, and is therefore “recommended” for use in the country. The shoots of the plant reach a length of 0.3 - 2.5 meters. Due to the antennae, which are located at the ends of the leaves, it rises along the support and clings to it.
The main charm of this plant lies in the whimsical flowers that resemble beautiful butterflies with all kinds of colors. I must say that it comes in all sorts of colors, except yellow. Peas exude a wonderful aroma. Unfortunately, only botanical species have a smell, and hybrids do not have it.
After flowering, fruits - beans - are set. Inside each of them, from five to ten round seeds can form. Their germination persists for about four years.
Sometimes it happens when seeds are not formed. This phenomenon is associated with a sharp temperature difference - both night and day. And although peas are considered a cold-resistant plant, in cool weather the buds fall off, unfortunately, without having time to set an ovary.
The flowering of this plant begins at the end of the first summer month and continues until the beginning of October, almost until the first frost. The flowers range from two to six centimeters in diameter and have a beautiful five-petal corolla. Well, I told you about the sweet pea flower, growing it from seeds is the next part of my story.
How to grow sweet peas?
It reproduces only by seeds. They are grown using seedlings or planted in open ground. Before sowing, they should be soaked in hot water for about one day, then wrapped in a damp cloth and stored in an open area. plastic bag to a warm place.
After the seeds hatch, they are planted in peat pots with nutritious soil, or in any other container with special soil. Flower shoots will appear in about two weeks.
Sometimes it happens that some seeds cannot germinate for a long time. To speed up this process, they are soaked in the manner described above, and the shell is pierced with a needle in two or three places.
The optimal temperature that promotes seed germination is twenty degrees. After three leaves grow, the seedlings must be pinched for better branching and more abundant flowering.
The seedlings are quite resistant to frost. In May they are planted in open ground, along with peat pots, in which they were previously sown.
The peas need to be supported. For this purpose, specially designed frames with stretched twine are used. The plant is tied in two or three places. In the future, his mustache will be able to climb up on its own, clinging to the frame with its antennae.
With the help of this beautiful plant decorate the walls of gazebos, garden buildings, terraces, loggias, balconies. For planting, choose open sunny places that are well protected from drafts. Only in such conditions will the peas show themselves “in all their glory,” and their seeds will also fully ripen.
The soil
The plant prefers to grow in fertile soils, without the addition of fresh organic fertilizers. Due to the fact that peas have a deep-growing taproot system, they need to be planted for balcony culture in a very deep container so that they feel comfortable and develop well.
Peas prefer to grow on neutral soils. On poor soil layers it grows worse and flowering is not as vigorous. On overly fertilized plants, the green mass will actively grow, but flowering will begin later and will not be as abundant as we would like, and the seeds will practically not set.
Sweet peas require regular watering and fertilizing. For the latter, it is better to use complex mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content.
Fertilizer application
The first feeding is best done a week after the seedlings are planted in open ground. To do this, you will need a bucket of water in which you need to dissolve a tablespoon of urea and nitrophoska.
The second is carried out at the beginning of flowering. For these purposes, you can use Agricola-7 and potassium sulfate.
Third - recommended during the wild flowering of peas, here they use “Agricola” for flowering plants or organic fertilizer “Flower”.
It should be noted that sweet peas, like most other legumes, can influence soil fertility, improving its quality. The roots enter into symbiosis with nodule bacteria, which absorb nitrogen from the air.
As a result, the plants not only feed themselves, but also contribute to the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen after the process of decomposition of the remains of the root system. It is best to grow peas in one place for no more than two years, otherwise they will not produce lush, beautiful flowering.
Conclusion
Sweet peas are very popular among gardeners, and, probably, every summer resident can find this charming flower, which decorates the country landscape with its appearance, pleases the eye and improves mood. So if you don’t have it yet, hurry up and get the seeds!