Posts Tagged: sweet peas
November in the Garden in Napa County
by Denise Seghesio Levine, U.C. Master Gardener of Napa County In other...
This tool shed, not in Napa County, is closed for the winter (Keter)
Aspen in fall (123RF)
This family snowmobiling is not in Napa County.(Twitter.com)
But dividing and transplanting perennials is a November garden task in Napa County.(KW Landscaping)
You know if you have peach leaf curl. (UC ANR)
November is the time for the first treatment. See peach leaf curl treatment options. (UC ANR)
Keep an eye on the weather forecast for frost--we have already had a few cold mornings and they were in October. (Sunset)
November is a great time to browse plant nursery aisles, Osuna Nursery
And November is the perfect time to plant spring bulbs (DutchGrown)
Pansies and violas can brighten your garden from November to spring.(Plant Care Today)
Orach greens, not just green! (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
Sweet peas. ALL parts of SWEET PEAS can be toxic. (Gardener's Path)
Carrots and onions starting in a November garden. (GrowVeg.com)
Read the seed packet carefully for suitability in your climate zone and garden (Gardener's Path)
Plan in November for December amaryllis bloom. (White Flower Farm)
Presprouting Sweet Peas
Good Saturday morning all. Just a bonus blog here. I wanted to include this photo in Sharon Rico's sweet pea article, but I didn't have it at the time the blog was posted. I wanted to share this with you if you were planning on planting sweet peas for your yard.
I too grow sweet peas and have taken Sharon's advice in pre-sprouting or 'chitting' sweet peas. I use the paper towel method. However, there are other methods of preparing sweet pea seeds for growing: soaking the seed in hot water, using sandpaper to scratch the surface of the seed or also nipping a tiny bit out of the seed coat.
In this picture are the dry sweet peas, the smaller darker colored seeds in the middle of the group. There are also the plumped up seeds. This happens just before they put out their first little root, which is the other seed you see here in this photo below.
![sweet pea seed before, during and after sprouting sweet pea seed before, during and after sprouting](http://ucanr.org/blogs/USS/blogfiles/8916.jpg)
My sweet pea seeds are planted and the seedlings are already breaking through the soil!
![sweet pea seedlings breaking through soil sweet pea seedlings breaking through soil](http://ucanr.org/blogs/USS/blogfiles/8917.jpg)
The Romance of Sweet Peas
October is the month to plant sweet pea seeds and I can hardly wait to get mine in the ground! In 1817, poet John Keats wrote “Here are sweet peas, on tip toe for a flight; With wings of gentle flush o’er delicate white, And taper fingers catching at all things, To bind them all about with tiny rings.”
![pink sweet pea, name unknown pink sweet pea, name unknown](http://ucanr.org/blogs/USS/blogfiles/8881.jpg)
Sweet peas, which have the descriptive Latin name Lathyrus odoratus, are incredibly gorgeous and powerfully perfumed. Often we smell them before we see the blossoms and the perfume invites us to find them, lifting our spirits and making us smile. Having a passion for sweet peas, I’ve been growing them annually for nearly 50 years.
It’s ideal to plant the seeds in an area where they can climb and be supported. Cement wire against a fence or wire between two poles in an open area will work well. The soil needs to be amended with compost and manure.
These tiny, round, hard seeds need to be soaked in water overnight. Soaking them softens the hard seed shell and encourages them to sprout. My grandmother placed her seeds on wet paper napkins on a tray in the basement and left them for several days until they were swollen and ready to “pop.” I use the same technique, using paper towels and an old cookie sheet. I carry that into the garden and place each seed individually 3 inches apart and ½ inch deep, thinning to 6 inches apart as they grow.
As soon as the plants emerge, grab some snail bait, as slugs and snails will feast on these seedlings! As the vines grow, they may need to be wound between the wire support until the tendrils grab hold. At this point, there’s not much to do until mid-April when the vines will vigorously grow and the incredible flowers appear. Sweet peas need to be picked daily for continuous blooming. The flowers will scent your home and are welcome gifts for friends and neighbors. As the vines turn brown and dry in June, there will be pods you can collect seeds for the following October. I’ve found that everyone loves sweet peas! Now, I’ve got to get busy!