The UK’s recent soaring temperatures have put a strain on many popular garden plants used to milder climes – fortunately Monty Don offers a fool-proof tip to keep this one plant flowering
While the heat has been encouraging many of us to flake out, gardening expert Monty Don recommends paying extra attention to this one popular plant that may be struggling.
Sweet peas are generally considered an easy plant to grow, especially from seed, making it a popular choice for UK gardeners. With their elegant petals and rich red, pink and wine-purple hues, they also make for very aesthetic photographs, especially in a cottage setting.
Even better, they can be trained to grow vertically, which can add visual interest to your garden landscape. It also makes them a great choice for balcony owners or those with smaller gardens.
READ MORE: Households told to sprinkle £1.10 item around red flag plants immediately
However, with the recent spate of hot weather, gardeners may have their work cut out for them when it comes to sweet pea maintenance. This is because they can struggle grow properly in the heat.
Sweet peas thrive in cooler temperatures that hover around 15C. This means that hot temperatures can stress them out, leading to reduced flower production. They also love moisture and need a regular supply of water. Another problem that arises from the heat is the fact that soil may dry out faster, leaving them dehydrated.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to encourage your sweet pea to keep flowering, despite the heat. All it takes is a bit of elbow grease.
Monty wrote in his blog: “Few garden chores can be as pleasant or undemanding as this but be sure to regularly pick all the flowers from your sweet pea plants is the best way to extend their flowering season.”
He explained: “Sweet pea flowers will rapidly develop seed pods in warm weather and these drain energy from the plant and trigger more seed production at the expense of flowers.”
Monty suggests that the “optimum picking period” for sweet peas is around 10 days. In the UK, this usually occurs between June and July.
Though, Monty warns that it is crucial to remove every single flower. This is because as soon as sweet peas finish flowering, they will begin focusing on reproduction by setting seeds.
By making sure you’ve removed every flower, you will trick the plant into thinking its work isn’t over yet. Hence, you can enjoy another fresh round of blooms.
The added benefit of this task is that you can then save the picked flowers for the house. Sweet pea flowers typically have a light, floral scent – perfect for freshening up your home.