Sweet peas

Until the most recent heatwave we had a lovely display of Sweet Peas however they now look as though they are going over. Is there anything I can do to try to reinvigorate them for the remainder of the summer? Thank you

 

The only things you can do is keep picking them, even the ones with very short stems, make sure you never leave any seed pods on or dead flowers. Keep watering and possible a weak feed of seaweed or tomato feed. If the whole plants have started going creamy pale green it is probably too late, pull up and start again next Spring.
I was extremely late planting mine out this year, they are only just starting to climb their supports but look very green, strong with lots of growth so I am going to have a late show, keeping everything crossed.

 

What I would like to know is how to keep the stems long. I think it may help to grow them as cordons, but that is a lot of work. Any suggestions of varieties with long stems?

 

It often depends on the variety @Baalmaiden, but yes - you have to do a lot of footering about with them to get long, single stems. It's often just people growing them for shows/exhibitions etc that do it. I've been growing a new variety this year - Balmoral. That's had good long stems without me doing anything.

Sweet peas need a lot of water and food @Greenlion66, so deadhead/pick as much as possible, and keep that food and water going. Use a tomato food or similar [anything high in potassium/potash] so that flowering is encouraged. If they're in pots/containers, it's even more important, but the advantage of that is - you can also move them out of sun. The info always says 'full sun' for them, but even here, I find it can be too much for them in full sun. I grow a lot of mine in shadier sites. They're ok in more sun in the ground, but I don't grow them in the ground very often as they just get eaten, even if they're good sized plants when planted out.
If you grow in pots, try using well rotted manure in the bottom next time, as that helps with water retention as well as giving a good food supply. I sometimes use old turf if I have it for the base, as that also helps with wtaer retention. The foliage stops rain getting in easily, so even here, I have to check that pots aren't drying out if we've had no decent rain for a few days. The peat free compost is rubbish too, so play about with different growing mediums too - if you can.

 

I've never thought about it before @fairygirl, but the spot where I usually grow my sweet peas does get shade in the afternoon and they do fine there.

 

A couple of years ago, when we had a very hot, dry summer, I moved a pot of white ones over beside my shed, where it got hardly any sun at all @Baalmaiden . It was also ideal, because white is so good for shady sites!
I currently have one in the bit at the back fence, which is roughly north west facing. Just one plant that I had extra, planted out in July, and starting to flower nicely now. It should hopefully carry on until about October.

 

I always choose my varieties primarily for scent, then exhibition varieties which are bred for flower size and long stems for display, the seed is usually more expensive, then colour. Keeping them fed and well watered helps but they all eventually develop shorter stems. I also cut the tendrils off as energy saving for the plants. I have tried growing them as cordons which is time consuming and needs more space than I want to give.

 

Colour is the only thing that matters for me. I can't smell anything anyway, unless my nose is right next to them!