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Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Posted by ladyrose65 6bNJ (My Page) on
Sat, Dec 6, 14 at 6:55

I've tried growing Sweet Peas. They get to about 1 ft or less then dieback to nothing? What gives? They are expensive seeds yet, they are so pretty. I want to try my hand at them again this season. I watched some youtube videos. Don't know what I am doing wrong? I have very enriched soil.

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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define enriched soil ...

compost .... hummus ...

or lots of fert

sometimes.... many of our favored flowers.. are little more the glorified weeds ... and it is very easy.. to kill them ... with too much love ...

as compared to them thriving.. with benign neglect ...

ken

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Ken, I don't know what is up whether you are being sarcastic or that is your 'sense of humor'?

I have good soil. I just have too much phosphorous in it from last soil analysis.

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Sow them as early as possible; they love cool temperatures. The link below has some additional info.

Here is a link that might be useful: sweet pea info

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Thank You Jaynine.

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I have good soil. I just have too much phosphorous in it from last soil analysis.

I don't think he was being sarcastic or humorous really much at all. Just like we can overeat and get sick and die, some plants are too gluttonous for their own good and will quickly kill themselves in the presence of an abundance of resources but thrive when they need to struggle. I kept killing marigolds in pots by over fertilizing them, treating them the same as all my other porch flowers. Peas and beans will both burn off pretty easily when fertilized, in my experience at least. I have a nasty habit of over feeding I'm trying to cut back on.

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  • Posted by dbarron Z6/7 (Arkansas) (My Page) on
    Tue, Dec 23, 14 at 12:22

Ken has a unique writing style. He means well, and he's usually accurate. Legumes (peas, beans, etc) fix nitrogen by the action of symbiotic bacteria, they typically prefer poor soils, by virtue of being able to supply themselves.

Ideally sweet peas should be blooming by May in your area...no matter when that means you have to get them growing. In some locations, they're treated as winter annuals.

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Sweet Peas (Lathyrus) are heavy feeders that seem to particularly like well-rotted manure: mulching is also beneficial.

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Thank You all for the good information. I was definitely planting them too late (end of May). I will try again this season.

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My sweet peas always thrived, and I had terrible soil! It was rocky and not amended, at the edge of the road. Sounds like too much of a good thing could very well be your problem? They really do like it cold, so plant them out pretty early. I pushed the boundaries when I had sweet peas, planting them a good two or three weeks before the last thaw (zone 6B/7A, so around the end of March). They were six or so inches tall by the time I planted them. Best of luck!

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Thanks rob333.

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RE: Sweet Peas: How to keep alive after 1 ft?

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Agree with all these comments.

1. Plant early. (They like it cool)
2. Don't under or over fertilize. Use common sense.
3. Water well during dry weather.
4. Make sure they have plenty of sun.

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