Sweet peas: Planting out and creating a teepee

Sweet Peas: Planting Out and Creating a Teepee

We start making teepees for our beans and sweet peas in late April using hazel canes which we picked in winter before the buds started to appear. Shop-bought bamboo sticks work equally well.

We sow our sweet peas in late winter in plugs in root trainers, large pots and even loo rolls. Planted out in April, they will flower through the summer and into the autumn.

The key to successfully growing sweet peas is regular picking; picking prevents flowers from going to seed and prolongs the flowering period. We pick sweet peas every morning and they flower until September/October.

How to Make a Teepee

When making a teepee with hazel canes, you may need another pair of hands; bamboo sticks are easier to manage. First draw a circle on the ground and push into it five canes, spacing them evenly apart. Tie them together at the top with a string to make a really strong and secure tie - this might stop birds stealing the string!

Sowing Seeds and Planting Seedlings

To avoid too much competition between growing seedlings, sow no more than two seeds or two plugs/seedlings per cane. Newly planted seedlings may show little activity in the first two weeks; let them settle and put some growth on before you start tying them to the structure. We might also add some small sticks to create a framework to guide the young plant in the right direction; continue helping the plant upwards by tying the new shoots loosely to the canes. Winding a twine around the whole teepee will provide additional support.

Top Tips

• Sweet peas will grow up a wall but perform much better when supported by a tepee; this way, they can be accessed for picking from all sides.
• To avoid disturbing the roots, it's advisable to grow sweet peas in plugs and sow the seeds in root trainers, large pots, or even loo rolls.
• Regular picking will encourage the flowers to bloom throughout summer and into the autumn.
• Ask for help when making a teepee with hazel canes.
• Use teepees to grow runner beans for use in the kitchen and in arrangements.

Plant Directory

Lathyrus odoratus

common name: sweet pea

Phaseolus coccineus

common name: runner bean

Recommended variety - 'Sunset'