By Julie Pramuk, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
When subtle signs of spring appear in mid to late February, I'm reminded that it's time to start thinking about planting sweet peas. My spring garden is not complete without a row of these fragrant flowers recalling old-fashioned gardens of my youth.
Sweet pea is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus and in the Fabaceae family, so it is related to fava beans and other legumes. It is native to Sicily, Cyprus, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands.
The sweet pea became a floral sensation in the late Victorian era. In the language of flowers, a bouquet of sweet peas meant “goodbye” or “thank you for a lovely time.” English gardeners fondly call the sweet pea the “Queen of Annuals.”
Now sweet peas are grown all over the world and found in every color of the rainbow except orange and yellow. Sweet peas bloom from spring to early summer and they prefer cool, moist soil.
Sweet peas can be started early indoors. To do so, place a dampened paper towel flat in a container. Spread the sweet pea seeds on the damp paper towel. Cover the container with plastic film and leave overnight. The next day the seeds should be moist. This process softens the seed coat and speeds up the sprouting process.
At this point, if you wish to start your seeds indoors, fill your seed tray or planting pots with good potting soil. Sweet peas produce abundant roots, so deep four-inch pots are ideal. Sow two seeds per pot, poking the seeds 1/2 inch into the soil, then press to firm the soil. Water carefully so as to not dislodge the seeds, then cover with plastic film to increase humidity and speed up germination.
When your plants are 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall you can plant them in your prepared garden bed outdoors. In the Napa Valley, winters are relatively mild so we can sow sweet peas in late fall. Recently, while walking to the Napa Farmers Market, I caught sight of a beautiful stand of sweet peas in the Copia growing grounds. I spoke with Jon Brzycki, the Copia gardener. He planted his sweet pea seeds directly into the ground in October.
No matter how you start your seeds, sweet peas are vigorous climbers that can reach seven feet in height. Provide a wire fence or netting for them to scramble up. Sweet peas are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil. When possible, plant low-growing annuals in front to shade their roots.
Choose a well-drained site and prepare the bed by applying a thick layer of compost and a natural fertilizer. Mix these ingredients well into your soil. Sweet peas are heavy feeders and require a little more attention to produce abundantly.
Plant your seeds or seedlings six to eight inches apart down the row. Train the vines up the netting or other support. Sweet peas love consistent moisture. Without it, they will fail to thrive.
Feed them throughout the growing season with a light fertilizer. Sweet peas will flower longer if you pick them regularly— a good excuse to have a bouquet in your home or to share with friends.
At the end of their season, usually by early to mid-June, the vines will go to seed and make pods. Although sweet pea pods resemble edible peas, sweet peas are toxic and not edible. If you intend to collect seeds, leave the pods on the vine. If you harvest the pods before they are completely mature, the pea seeds will not germinate. I usually let the vines remain until they are dry and then harvest the pods and bring them indoors.
The dried pods release the seeds quite easily. I leave the seeds out to dry completely and then store them in jars for next year's planting. If you don't harvest the pods, the dried pods will eventually break open and the seeds may self-sow the following fall or early spring. What possibly could be wrong with that?
Sowing a row of sweet peas is well worth the time and effort. Even though I harvest these fragrant, beautiful flowers continuously throughout their growing season, I never tire of them. I'm never ready to say “good-bye and thank you for a lovely time.”
The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County are volunteers who provide University of California research-based information on home gardening. To find out more about home gardening or upcoming programs, visit the Master Gardener website (napamg.ucanr.edu). Our office is temporarily closed but we are answering questions remotely and by email. Send your gardening questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a phone message at 707-253-4143 and a Master Gardener will respond shortly.
by Denise Seghesio Levine, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County
In other parts of the country, people focus on inside tasks in November. Garden tools are already oiled and hung for the winter; bulbs are dug and cellared. Treasured perennials, pots of citrus and fragrant herbs have been brought inside to wait out the winter in bright, warm rooms. With the exception of raking the last leaves or shoveling snow, gardening chores in these locales are largely complete for the next few months.
A few years ago, while visiting the Department of Energy's National Laboratories in Idaho, I lunched with one of the engineers. It was October, and the quaking aspens were aflutter with glorious chartreuse- and lemon-colored leaves. The skies were a true cerulean blue and I could not imagine a prettier or more wonderful time to be there.
My host had a different view. His favorite time of year was coming, when the skies turned gray and black and the white, quiet snowflakes came down. Each year, snow buried not only his garden, but also his tool shed where he housed his lawnmowers, leaf blowers, shovels, loppers and other garden tools.
The only survivor was the family's snowmobile fleet. Until spring thaws uncovered the first flecks of green, he had a vacation from garden chores. Snowmobiling with the kids during the day, hot chocolate and puzzles at night—no wonder it was his favorite time.
Here in Napa Valley, November brings is no rest for the garden weary. The list of potential planting opportunities and chores can be just as encompassing and just as long as in spring and summer.
November in Napa Valley is one of the best times to transplant. If you have plants that have outgrown their pots on the patio or their boundaries in the garden, or are underperforming in their current spot, now is the time to rehome them.
If you use a copper spray for peach-leaf curl, the first application is usually around Thanksgiving. Start watching for frost now and be ready to toss a cover over your citrus and other frost-sensitive plants.
If you want to add plants to your garden, stroll the nursery aisles and look for new discoveries. Read the labels to make sure you are choosing a plant that will thrive in your garden. Some plants are dormant now; others appreciate being transplanted when they will have months of moisture to sink roots deep before the stress of summer.
Local nurseries have beautiful bulbs to plant now for spring bloom and annuals like pansies and violas for winter color.
Tender green crops like lettuce, spinach, orach, arugulas, mint and cilantro all do much better in the cooler months. Plant seedlings or direct-sow seeds in small amounts every couple of weeks for a steady supply into spring. Arugula can be sown liberally in the corners of your garden where it can spread. Better a “weed” I can pick for salads than an inedible weed.
Peas, both pole and bush varieties, can be planted now, as can sweet peas. Wildflowers and many annuals can also be sown now and will germinate when the weather warms in spring.
Keep your flowering sweet peas and edible peas apart. While munching sugar snap peas and petits pois right in the garden is a delight, all of the ornamental sweet pea flowers and pods are toxic. Remind your young children: ornamental sweet peas are eye and nose candy only.
Garden and salad crops like each other, so it is easy to get the most out of a small winter garden patch. Green scallions do well when planted alongside lettuce and carrots. Pole peas enjoy a frilly bed of lettuce along the base, and I have never seen a radish that did not like being near lettuce. Always check seed packets to make sure the variety you have in your hand this month does well from fall to winter.
Your favorite nursery will have vegetable and flower seedlings for planting in November. Expect to find a variety of onion sets and seeds, broccoli seedlings, kohlrabi, rutabaga and perennial herbs.
Seeds can be planted directly outside this month as well. Read the seed packets and look for lettuces that thrive in the cold months. Other good options for winter include spinach, chard, Asian greens, mesclun, sorrel, miner's lettuce and cabbages.
If you have hopes of blooming amaryllis for Christmas, this is the month to pot up heavy, blemish-free bulbs. They will burst into bloom in time for the holidays. Follow the directions that come with your bulbs, and maybe by Christmas we can take some time off.
Library talk: Napa County Master Gardeners will give a talk on “Beyond Peaches and Apples: Unusual Fruits for your Backyard” on Thursday, November 7, at 7 p.m. at the Napa Library, 580 Coombs Street, Napa. Attendance is free.
Next workshop: “Holiday Décor Gifts with Succulent Plants” on Saturday, November 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. For more details & online registration, visit http://napamg.ucanr.eduor call 707-253-4221.
The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County are volunteers who provide UC research-based information on home gardening and answer your questions. To find out more about upcoming programs or to ask a garden question, visit the Master Gardener website (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) or call (707) 253-4221 between 9 a.m. and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.