by Edmund K

Created on: March 03, 2008   Last Updated: March 05, 2008

Sweet peas are a fine addition to any group of indoor plants. Their pleasant smell and color are welcome in any house. It is a very good idea to keep or start them indoors. Both beautiful and fragrant, they are more easily maintained indoors. Outdoors, they can grow wild very quickly without careful maintenance and trimming.

Firstly, fill a moderate sized pot with potting mix. Make sure the mix is damp and earthy smelling. Unless your garden soil is of exceptional quality, it is preferable to use potting mix as garden soil is often leached of nutrients and full of old root material.

Secondly, using a pin or a small knife, cut a very small shallow opening in the hard cuticle of the seed, making sure not to damage the core. The cuticle is hard, and nicking it will allow the seed to absorb water and soften the cuticle. This will allow the plant to grow out from the seed more easily.

Soak the seeds in water for around 5 hours. Longer is fine, just remember not to leave the seed in water for more than around 12 hours, as this will decrease the viability of the seed. When the seed has swollen, take it out and plant the seeds. Use only 2-4 seeds per pot. Plant the seeds at approximately 2 to 3 three inches below the soil level. You could use a stick to poke a hole in the soil, then cover the holes over with the potting mixture.

Keep the pot by a window, making sure the weather is warm. Ideally, you want the soil to be warm, but not baking hot. A few hours of sunshine a day is preferable, with the soil remaining at an ideal warmish temperature for the seeds to germinate. Do not leave the pot out in direct sunlight, as this will dry out the soil and kill off the seeds. Water regularly, but do not drown the seeds in water. Try to ensure that the surface of the soil is damp.

If the seeds are of the climbing kind, insert a stick into the soil to allow the seedling to climb, making sure that you do not spear the seedling as you do so. When planted outside in good conditions, they can climb to 6-7 feet, but indoors in a small pot they will be smaller, but no less colourful. If you decide not to leave a stick in, the plants will hang over the edge of the pot.

Warm conditions are ideal, and within a few weeks you should have a potful of sweet pea flowers by your window, ready to brighten up any house with color and a delicate natural fragrance.

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