The Sweet Peas of our garden delight us while they provoke us . We sincerely wish well that they might bloom for a foresighted time , yet they are an unqualified joyfulness when they are in flower .
Many thoughts arise in the minds of true Sweet Pea lovers . For Instance , Helen Milman , writes : “ I imagine the Sweet Pea is a frivolous flower and leads a butterfly stroke ’s life , it wanders anywhere , and clingstone to anything , and has not any definite aim or ideal . ” And Keats when lie recall of Sweet Peas , writes :
“ Here are Sweet Peas on tiptoe for a escape , With wings of gentle flush or delicate ashen , And wax light fingers catching at all things To bind them all about with tiny offstage . ”
Another poet has pen this doggerel :
“ pea along the border , Peas upon the lawn , Peas against an easterly rampart to receive in the dawn . pea among the Roses , Peas behind the Pinks;Peas to get the western glow when evening sunlight sinks . Peas upheld with Chestnut , Peas hold up with Ash;Peas conurbation on Hazel spray , Peas on Larchen brash . Peas on stiff ’ unyielding telegram , Peas tie up with string;Peas upon the trellis piece of work were Rambler Roses swing music . Oh Merry , merry , merry , are the gay Sweet Peas;Plant them when and how you will , it ’s certain they will please . ”
candidly , however , Sweet . pea plant can not be plant “ when and how you will , ” and it is to pointing the fashion to success in the “ when and how ” that the remainderof this chat on Sweet Peas will be devoted .
TYPES OF FLOWERS.
There has been a gradual development of the Sweet Pea from the wild form in which the flowers were purple and small , to the innovative subspecies of frilled sorts . The most pop today are those listed as Spencers , Waved and Orchid - flowering miscellany . In these the flowers are big and ruffled , three or four are borne on each prow and there is a wide range of recherche colour . The old type , known as Grandiflora , includes the sort that were run into before the year 1900 . The early inflorescence varieties now listed are the types almost entirely grown in greenhouse today . These diversity blossom two weeks earlier and have the habit of flowering while rather small , after which they branch .
AUTUMN PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.
Sweet Peas delight in having their root in cool , deep grease , and for this reason it is judicious to prepare the grease in the Autumn , because in the former Spring it is scarcely dry enough to work . comprehend a trench at least two feet deep and a foot or more wide . position several inches of manure in the bottom , and fill in with dependable soil so that the filled trench is rather curve at the top . The soil will settle somewhat and anyway , we do not desire these rows to be below the soil level in early Spring . Furthermore , the rows when mound , will dry out more rapidly , and permit earlier planting .
FALL PLANTING.
When Sweet Peas are planted in the Fall , the flowers are produced before . This method is successful south of New York City on most soils , but farther north it is worth while only on well drained , sandy earth . In localities where there are few alternate freeze and thaws , and the coke track the soil most of the Winter , this method acting is highly recommended .
Sweet Pea trials at Cornell University , has experiment much with Autumn - sown plants and writes , that after preparing the trench , as just described ,
The filth must be tread in the trench so that it will not descend with the action of the wintertime frosts . In fact , it is better to ridge the dirt slightly over the trench to provide for possible subsidence , and for drain off surface water . In this ridgeline , there should be made a small furrow , two inch deep The seeded player should be inseminate one in aside in this crease , and covered with two inch of land . The rowing should be entrust slenderly elevate when the planting is finished . The important point to keep in nous about Fall - planting Sweet Peas in the northern states , is to establish so late that the plants do not make any maturation above ground until Spring . If the plants appear above primer coat they are kill by the Winter . Seeds that have only sprout are not harmed . In central New York it is our experience that about November tenth is about the right time to sow in , but , of course of instruction , this varies with the time of year .
After the ground freezes , a mulch of manure should be placed over the row , and if the snowfall remains all Winter , the conditions are very favorable . On the approach of bright , affectionate , sunny weather , examine the Sweet Peas , and , if they are find originate , polish off the manure . It is a good plan to depart the straw portion between the row , or near at hand for a while , so that it may be place over the plant during sudden insensate patch .
The Fall - sown Sweet Peas set out to develop earlier than it is usually possible to plant in Spring . They develop during the coolheaded weather , make a good root system of rules , and are stronger than plant from Spring - sow ejaculate . The seed of the stock varieties are so cheap that the Fall planting of Sweet Peas is well worth trying . Should the ejaculate perish , the row may be replanted in the Spring .
GOOD FRIDAY SOWING.
There is an old principle which says that Sweet Peas should be seed on Good Friday . This means simply that Sweet Peas may be sown as soon as the grime thaws in the early Spring , because the plants grow well during the cool , dampish months .
It was formerly believed that Sweet Peas should be sown in shallow trenches six or eight inch abstruse , but it is now generally jibe that the row should be skim level and the seed sow only a half column inch inscrutable . It is honest to sow thinly , mean that only enough seed should be used so that the plants will put up six inch asunder . Sweet Peas may also be sown in double dustup a foot apart ; this will allow space for the plants to develop and will at the same fourth dimension produce a magnanimous measure of bloom .
EARLY BLOOMS FROM POT SOWINGS.
Sweet Peas maybe brought into flower several weeks earlier and the plants will be better developed if started indoors , or in a hotbed . In a non activeAmerican Sweet Pea Society Bulletin :
Do not despair of raise good Sweet Peas if you are without a glasshouse , or even a coldframe ; much may be accomplished by a footling caution and a small ingeniousness . A flat , 14 in long by 12 inches panoptic takes up but two square feet of elbow room , and may be set in a house windowpane . It is easily move from place to place , bear about 100 flora in paper pots ( which are four inch rich ) and will give the plant plenty of way until they can be planted out . Now , these plant are enough to plant a individual course 100 feet in duration , or a double row 50 feet long , which is as much as many mass can handle . Further , they will bloom longer and give ranking heyday to any that may be found nigher ; in fact , good sturdy flora set out in fairly rich dirt will fillthe infinite if planted two feet aside .
This outside planting must be done as early on as possible , and the plants protect at night from frost . A expert way to protect the plants in the row is to complete two boards together , so as to form an invert fivesome , and set it over the industrial plant at Nox until danger from hard frost is past .
To INSURE GERMINATION.
Many Sweet Pea seeds are very hard and germinate slow , if at all . It has been found fresh to give them some sort of discourse to insure prompt germination . Some hit it up the cum in acid for a half minute , but the simple method acting is to issue off a small piece of the seed coating on the side opposite the growing power point . When such seeds are sow in a half - in deep in sand , they will germinate readily because they can souse up H2O easily . When so treated they develop in a week and may then be localise in low pots to grow ,
Light colored seeds which usually produce the white and paler tints and the mottled seed ( ordinarily of the lavender , blue and mauve sorts ) , are apt to decay when the soil conditions are not well-disposed , It is the red , crimson and scarlet sorts that bear the hard seed which it is well to germinate before sowing .
SUPPORTING.
As soon as the cum is sown the nurseryman should consider the subject of supporting the plants . When the seedling show a trend to produce tendril , they need to get hold of something and should not be allowed to sprawl over the soil . No matter what method of patronage is used , small , branchy twigs should be placed near the plants , and if the stems are slow in accept to the branchlet tie some of them up .
Tall brushing is the ideal material for support the plant because of its width , and the many twig to which the plant can secure themselves .
telegram netting may be used ; it is neat and live for years . Some aim to it because it is hard to clean the tendril from it in the Fall when rolling it up for the Winter .
stake , eight ft long , may be driven into the row and strong strings extend between them . This is an cheap method , but as the drawstring stretch the effect often becomes unsightly . The lower strings should be placed five inch , and the higher ones far asunder .
A common English method and one desirable of trial in this body politic is to sow the seeds in circles several feet in diameter . conducting wire sack or a teepee effect made of wager put up a support . The thumping effect thus produced must be interesting .
FERTILIZERS.
If the soil is rich , lilliputian fertilizing is advisable , except a visible light dose of nitrate of soda water , or dry out blood when the stems commence to get short . In the case of nitrate of soda , we strongly send word dissolving it in water at the rate of a tablespoonful to a congius .
When the grime is none too good at the start it will be advisable to give a dressing of bonemeal short after the plants are several inches magniloquent . sprinkle the bonemeal on both side of the row so that the dirt is lily-white and rake it in . Some specialists believe that soot dusted over the soil every ten days brightens the color of the flowers .
MULCHING.
Those who wish to keep their vines blooming as long as potential may try mulching the rows with decayed leaves or straw . This keeps the grime from drying and baking . Three inches of material should be used , but no more .
When a mulch is not used , the plant must be cultivate so that at no clip shall the soil be baked at the surface .
WATERING.
Sweet Peas enjoy weewee and will thrive when given large amounts . A shallow trench hoe out six inches from the row will be a commodious aid in tearing .
PICKING THE BLOOMS.
Sweet Peas must be picked often and continuously if one wishes to in full enjoy them . Neglect in this special presently causes them to go out of bloom . The best gardener cut the flowers rather than pull up them . corrupt your Sweet Pea seed and do not endeavor to save it , for it is better to have the flowers . It is well to ignore some leafage with the flower because this dissemble like a lightness pruning , causing the plants to leg . leafage and young shoots are also useful when set the flowers .
class Lesson 151 of the New York State College of Agriculture :
In ordination to have hunky-dory flowers and a recollective succession of bloom , it is boundlessly more necessary to keep the cum seedcase rigorously pick off than it is to cultivate mulch , or irrigate the plants . The latter operations go for nil unless the pods are foot off . The writer thoroughly believes that the grandness of watering has been overemphasized and that too many amateurs prefer to use the hosiery rather than to pick pods ; then they assert that the Sweet Pea is not what it used to be , that it has lost composition . Of course , the more highly developed the variety , the less sure it is to bear up under neglect .
( Although from some of the older varieties in the College run , no come pods were picked , they continued bloom abundantly , while the plants of the modern , wave sorts became in most cases , altogether destitute of flowers under this treatment . )
The same hold true with regard to duration of stem . Some plants of Countess Spencer were treated as above in Holy Order to note the effect , and for them the season was over too soon in August . The lesson is that if the agriculturalist does not intend to comply with the essential of the improved types , it is practiced to arise the small - flowered , precocious varieties .
INSECTS AND DISEASES.
plant life lice are frequently troublesome on Sweet Peas . When this is the case spray the plants with a nicotine solution . Red spider is predominant late in the time of year , and may be check by but spray with water supply day by day . Its presence may be detected by a whitish visual aspect of the foliage and a webby covering .
This should not be obnubilate with mildew , which look as a lily-white powdery growth on the foliage . As the mildew involve Sweet Peas only after their season of bloom is over , it is not usually serious . Mildew is verify by dusting pulverized sulfur upon the foliage . Other diseases impress Sweet Peas , but the method acting for control them are not understood . Diseased plants should be pull up and burned to prevent spreading the spore of the trouble .
LATHYRUS Sweet Peas
( Ancient Greek name )
develop Sweet Peas
data on 50 + yearly flowers
