Sweet Pea Damage

Hi, I’m a complete novice, any help appreciated.
Planted sweet peas in 2 large pots, with canes. Now getting a fair amount of flowers - which I cut regularly.
But getting increasing amount of dead leaves from bottom up. Any idea why & what should I do?
Over or under watering? Too many plants in together, do not getting light?
Photo attached
Thanks

 

This is one of those wiered and wonderful things about gardening and botanical science. From your photo, at first glance it might be suggested that the plant/s have perhaps been subjected to overwatering, or on the other-hand have suffered drought.

What has happened and no-one is to blame. Physically the plant/s have recognised the exitence of flowers. In simple terms. All plants have this inbuilt driving force. To grow, flower and set seed. OK some plants are perennials and the rootstock or tubers/bulbs remain, but whatever the survival inpulse is to grow fast flower and set seed.

So what has happened here is, if you like. The plant has recognised the flowers and so all internal systems have consentrated on providing food and water etc to that area of the plant, resulting in the lower parts being deprived. The central system of the plant survives, and this allows the flow of nutrients.

Hope this helps.

 

Not a sweet pea grower by any means but I think it's normal.

I've seen the serious growers layering their plants when they reach the top of the supports.
They untie the plants and lay the leaf less stems along the ground and retie them in lower down and further along the row.