Sweet pea - a couple of possibly daft questions

HeidiHeidi

Hoping someone with more knowledge will come along.....

I planted sweet pea seeds a few months ago. First time growing them. Up came loads of gorgeous flowers, which I assumed would carry on throughout the season. I deadheaded the flowers as needed, but none grew back. Now I have a lovely, but colourless, crop of pea pods!

First question - are the flowers gone for good? If they are I might pull up the lot, as it was for the flowers I planted them in the first place.

Should I have not deadheaded the flowers? Would they have continued to flower if I hadn't?

And finally, since I now appear to have a healthy, if small, crop of pea pods - are these edible???

TIA

ceekay74

It's the flowers that grow into pea pods so I'm guessing you didn't deadhead them all. I'd cut the pea pods off and see if it flowers again.

looksee

As soon as the flowers turn to pea pods (and no, don't eat them, they are poisonous) the plant assumes its work is done and stops flowering to put all its energy into developing the pods. You need to dead-head for repeat flowering - that means cutting of the flowers as they fade - or in full bloom to put indoors - if you leave them till they are dead they will already be producing pods.

HeidiHeidi

looksee wrote: »

As soon as the flowers turn to pea pods (and no, don't eat them, they are poisonous) the plant assumes its work is done and stops flowering to put all its energy into developing the pods. You need to dead-head for repeat flowering - that means cutting of the flowers as they fade - or in full bloom to put indoors - if you leave them till they are dead they will already be producing pods.

Right so, need to be more on the ball next time then! You live and learn.

If the plants are covered in pods, are they done with flowering completely then? Might pull them up and go again (if it's not too late) or try something else - it's only one pot but the colour splash was gorgeous, I miss them

Roselm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I deadheaded the flowers as needed, but none grew back. Now I have a lovely, but colourless, crop of pea pods!

Should I have not deadheaded the flowers? Would they have continued to flower if I hadn't?

TIA

Maybe you just pulled off the dead petals.You need to pinch off the whole dead head at the stem just below the dead flower...

HeidiHeidi

OK, it looks like I made a bit of an arse of it first time round

Although I had a gorgeous pot of colour and scent for a few weeks, so that was a win at least!

Anyone know if it's too late to rip up the last lot and plant more seeds now, in late July? Would that just be a waste of the seeds?

Thanks for all the replies, hopefully I'll be able to keep the flower show going a lot longer next time!

Rabo Karabekian

Did not know that sweet pea produced poisonous peas. Very, very helpful to know!

I planted some a fair few months back, and they are only just about to flower now. Some very good advice on this thread.

looksee

I think it is a bit too late to re-sow for this year, especially given the weather. There is every possibility that the plants are going 'ah well, that's the summer over' - it is quite autumnal at the moment and we haven't even had August!