How to Grow Knee-High Sweet Pea Flowers

Starting Outdoors

• 1

  Nick the seeds with a pair of nail clippers to allow moisture to penetrate the seed coat. This helps the seeds germinate faster.

• 2

  Apply a 2-inch layer of compost or rotted manure to the soil unless your garden bed already has deep, loose loamy soil. Work the amendments into the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches using a hoe or shovel.

• 3

  Smooth the soil with a garden rake.

• 4

  Plant the seeds a half inch deep and 4 inches apart.

• 5

  Moisten the soil with water.

• 6

  When seedlings are about 2 inches tall, thin them to 12 inches apart by pulling out the unwanted plants or clipping them out at ground level with a pair of scissors.

Starting Indoors

• 7

  Fill peat or plastic pots to 1 inch from the rim and place them on a tray.

• 8

  Nick the seeds and place two or three of them near the center of each pot. Cover them with a half inch of soil.

• 9

  Moisten the soil with water and keep it moist but not soggy at all times. Empty the tray under the pot if any water collects there.

• 10

  Place the tray of pots in a cool, shady location and watch for the seeds to germinate. This takes 10 to 21 days.

• 11

  Place the tray of pots in a sunny window after the seedlings emerge. Keep the temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 12

  When the seedlings are about 2 inches tall, thin them to one plant per pot.

• 13

  Transplant the seedlings outdoors spacing them about 12 inches apart about a month before the last expected frost.

Maintenance

• 14

  Apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch around the plants to help keep the soil cool and moist.

• 15

  Water weekly until the seedlings are well-established. Once established, water the plants during dry spells.

• 16

  Fertilize every three to four weeks with a half-strength liquid fertilizer or a light sprinkling of dry fertilizer. Too much fertilizer results in dark green foliage and few flowers.

• 17

  Remove the faded flowers about twice a week. This encourages the plant to keep blooming. If seed pods form, the plant may stop flowering.