When they get really dry, they 'pop' open and spring the seeds all over the place. As soon as they are tan colored, I'd pick a sack full of the pods, put it in a dryish place, and after a while, you'll have a sack full of seeds and husks.

Several years ago, I had someone bring me hundreds of sweet pea seeds so I could plant them in the ditches between my fence and the road. I threw them out there, and for 3 years, nothing happened. Then, they started coming up, and now I have a decent show.

I planted sweet peas seeds in a container on my driveway this year. Had it all set up with a trellis and everything. I was sure to water it every morning since it was on the hot driveway. Lots of green growth but not a single flower. Did I over water? Should I have neglected it? I had such visions of sweet smelling flowers in huge boquets!

Connie

When did you plant your seeds, Connie? They're like garden peas, and need to be planted VERY early when it's still cold out. I planted mine in March this year, and it's the first time I got more than a couple feeble flowers. In a pot, the heat would effect them even more, because the soil would heat up faster than the ground. Also, if you had LOTS of foliage, you might have had too much nitrogen in the soil. You could try a blossom booster fertilizer next year which has a HIGH middle number in the analysis.

I LOVE sweet peas too,
Skybird

That must be it. I didn't plant them that early. Ah, well. Trial and error is the best way to learn those lessons! Won't forget to plant earlier next year. Thanks!

Connie

hehehe! That's how we all learn! This is the third year I've tried to grow them---and the first year I've been at all happy with them!

Good luck next year. They smell SOOOO good!

Skybird

I didn't plant them. They came with the house. The first year, I wasn't even sure what kind of flower they were. I think the secret is that you have to ignore them. I work very hard on my garden, mostly to no avail, but I ignored the sweet peas. They grow in poor soil and lava rock. They're in intense Colorado sun and heat. And I only occasionally fling some water in their direction.

And they put on the best show in my entire yard.

Except maybe for the roses that were already here when I came. I pretty much ignore them, too, and they seem to thrive on it.

I've been collecting the dry pods, those that haven't popped yet. A couple of them popped open in my hand.

Now I have to figure out where I want to grow sweet peas next year.

the wild ones that are perinial are called everlasting peas. i just found that out. i bought a plant a few yrs ago and collected seeds last yr. i started an egg carton full of seeds this yr and they did grow but took quite a while to sprout. they are different than other types of sweat peas. anyway i gave all the sprouts away but my plant didnt come back this year. i have a few volunteers(sp) in the garden this yr though. plus they are not hard to find here in mi. they grow along the sides of the road. it scared me when i tried to pluck a ripe pod,lol. there was a loud pop and seeds went flying everywhere. so you have to pick them slightly immature if you want to save them.

OK, now is the time to plant my sweetpea seeds outdoors? What other annuals is it time for? What other annuals sown where they will grow have you had the most success with?

Thanks, Connie

I'll be putting my sweetpea seeds in as soon as I'm able to get the soil in that area turned over and ready for the year. I don't do a lot of annuals, so there may be more that can be sown directly about now, but snapdragons and violas (johnny-jump-ups) can for sure be sown outdoors already now. Actually, they could both have been sown last fall if you had wanted to. With both of those, once you get some started and they bloom, you'll have seedlings coming up year after year, forever.

Skybird

Connie, I just noticed in your post last year that you put the sweetpeas in a hot spot. They like cool temps, and if you have a place to put them where they'll stay cooler, they'll do better for you, longer. When it gets too hot for them, they'll go downhill fast.

Skybird

Thanks Skybird. I can almost smell those bunches of pastel flowers on my kitchen table!

Connie