Why Don’t My Sweet Peas Flower – How To Get Sweet Peas Blooming
My sweet pea flowers are not blooming! It can be frustrating when you’ve done everything you can think of to help your flowers thrive, but they refuse to bloom. Let’s look at a checklist of the requirements for a sweet pea to bloom.
Why Don’t My Sweet Peas Flower?
Sweet pea flowers not blooming? There are several reasons why this happens. To pinpoint the cause in your plant, here are some possibilities to look for: Are your sweet peas getting enough light? Sweet peas should have direct sunlight for six to eight hours every day. The more light the plants have, the better they flower. And speaking of light, they prefer long days. The ideal day length is 16 hours, followed by eight hours of darkness. Day length isn’t critical, but bear in mind that they may not do their absolute best without long days. Are you fertilizing them right? All they really need is a little compost, and they won’t even need that if you’re growing them in rich soil. If they get too much nitrogen, they produce lush green foliage at the expense of flowers. Phosphorus, on the other hand, encourages flowers. Lawn fertilizer has a high nitrogen content, so keep it away from your sweet peas. Are you deadheading your sweet peas? Blossoms should be plucked off as soon as they fade to keep the plant from forming a seed pod. Flowering slows and might even stop if the plants form pods. You don’t have to stand constant watch over them, but visit them every few days to remove the spent blossoms. You might find that you enjoy the task. Take your pruners along so you can gather a few flowers to enjoy indoors.
How to Get Sweet Peas Blooming Again
Of the three factors we’ve discussed, deadheading is the easiest one to fix once you’ve made a mistake. You’ll be surprised how soon you’ll see blossoms once you start deadheading neglected plants. If you’ve got no blooms on sweet peas because of poor light, you can transplant them to a sunnier location. Bear in mind, though, that sweet peas don’t like to be transplanted into hot weather. In fact, they’ll often die back once the temperatures rise. Getting blooms on sweet peas once they’ve been hit with high nitrogen fertilizer is more challenging. There is nothing you can add to the soil to correct the problem completely, but adding a high phosphorus fertilizer or bone meal may help some. It might also help to water them as often as possible. Just be careful not to let them become soggy or waterlogged.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
Jackie Carroll has written over 500 articles for Gardening Know How on a wide range of topics.
-
Best Plants For Christmas Decorations – 8 Holly Jolly Holiday Decor Ideas
Looking to spruce up for the holidays but want to go beyond the spruce? Here are 8 festive holiday plants just for you.
By Amy Grant
-
Gifts For Bird Lovers, Birders and Birdies To Attract More Feathered Friends To Your Yard!
If you’re looking to bring more birdies to your garden, these gifts for bird lovers should definitely be on your wish list. Grab some avian attractions to get your gardens all aflutter
By Janey Goulding
-
Can You Eat Sweet Peas – Are Sweet Pea Plants Toxic
Because of their name, there is some confusion as to whether you can eat sweet peas. They certainly sound like they might be edible. So are sweet pea plants toxic, or are sweet pea blossoms or pods edible? Click this article to learn more.
By Amy Grant
-
Container Grown Sweet Peas: How To Grow Sweet Pea Flowers In Pots
With their colorful and highly fragrant blossoms, sweet peas are extremely rewarding plants to grow. And, luckily, growing sweet peas in containers is also easy to do. Want to learn more about how to grow sweet pea flowers in pots? Click here.
By Liz Baessler
-
Sweet Pea Problems: Reasons For Sweet Pea Flowers Falling Off
It's a common problem with sweet peas. One day the plants are loaded with buds that should open at any time, and the next day the buds are dropping off. Find out what causes bud drop and what to do about it in this article.
By Jackie Carroll
-
Sweet Pea Seedpods: Tips On Collecting Seeds From Sweet Peas
Sweet peas are one of the mainstays of the annual garden. When you find a variety you love, why not save the seeds so you can grow them every year? This article explains how to collect sweet pea seeds.
By Jackie Carroll
-
Care Of Sweet Peas - How To Grow Sweet Peas
The sweet peas your grandmother grew truly deserved the name "sweet" because of their delightful fragrance. Taking care of sweet peas is easy. This article has tips that will help.
By Jackie Carroll
-
How To Pinch Sweet Peas For Fuller Plants
Pinching out sweet peas will provide you with more blooms for cutting. It's one of the wonders of growing these delightful vines. The more blooms you cut, the more will grow. Learn more in this article.
By Jackie Rhoades