CORVALLIS, Ore. — Sweet peas have been a staple in English gardens since the 17th century, when they were introduced from southern Italy. They’ve since found a welcome home around the world, including Oregon’s climate-friendly gardens.
The first sweet peas had small flowers but carried a strong, attractive fragrance. Today, bush or dwarf types such as ‘Supersnoop’ make colorful hedges along walkways or in planters. Taller climbing varieties, including ‘Old Spice Mix’ or ‘Royal Family,’ can be trained on fences and trellises.
Both types make excellent cut flowers with their sweet, old-fashioned fragrance and wide range of colors. But gardeners should note: the peas are inedible and toxic if eaten in quantity.
Planting and care
Sweet peas grow best when planted in early spring in Western Oregon and later in higher elevations east of the Cascades. For best results:
- Location: Choose a well-drained, sunny site with good air circulation. Plant before mid-March and protect seedlings from frost.
- Soil prep: Dig a trench about 10 inches deep. Fill halfway with well-rotted manure or compost, then cover with soil mixed with bone meal, superphosphate or a balanced fertilizer such as 15-15-15.
- Planting: Sow seeds ¾–1 inch deep and 2 inches apart. Soaking seeds for 24 hours before planting can improve germination. Thin seedlings to 5–6 inches apart.
- Slug control: Protect emerging seedlings with traps or barriers.
- Training: When seedlings reach about 4 inches tall, pinch off the tips above the top leaves to encourage bushier growth. Mulch around the base to keep soil cool.
Ongoing care
- Watering: Irrigate as needed, especially in dry periods.
- Deadheading: Remove spent flowers before pods form to keep plants blooming through summer.
- Disease management: Sweet peas are susceptible to powdery mildew in damp, crowded areas and to pea enation virus in hot weather. Plant resistant varieties when available and avoid overly shady or damp sites.
With the right care, sweet peas will reward Oregon gardeners with vibrant, fragrant blooms from spring through summer.
Previously titled Old-fashioned sweet peas fill the garden with fragrance
