Heirloom Sweet Pea Seed Mix

Sweet Pea Heirloom mix contains all the favorite old-time sweet pea varieties. Selected for the most vibrant and fragrant blooms, this mix will not disappoint. Sweet peas make great cut flowers and can be planted in the fall in mild climates. In colder zones, sweet peas should be started inside and transplanted out after the danger of frost has passed.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Plant in fall to overwinter and bloom in spring.

Zones 3-8

• Start 7-8 weeks before the last frost indoors. Transplant out after the danger of frost is gone.

Planting Sweet Pea Seeds

• Seeds need to be thoroughly soaked to ensure good germination. Scarifying (scratching) the seed coat to allow water in will help the seed take on the water quicker and therefore germinate quicker.
• Seeds should be planted ½” deep in good, well worked and deeply watered soil if you are direct sowing. If you are transplanting, start your seeds in a seed starting mix and transplant them out when they are 3-4″ tall.

Growing Sweet Peas

• Sweet Peas enjoy cool weather and in Zones 9 and 10 should be planted in the fall and left to overwinter. They will bloom in the spring. In other zones, sweet peas can be started indoors from seed 6-7 weeks before the last frost. Once the danger of frost has passed, the transplants can be planted outside in the full sun.
• These plants like to have a trellis or structure to grow up. We love to grow them up cattle panels as they make really strong trellis systems. You can use anything for a trellis such as a strong wood lattice, or even tomato cages.

Growing Sweet Peas in Containers

• If you are planting sweet peas in containers, make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Since this plant needs something to climb up, you will want to place your pot near a trellis or similar structure so that the plant can grow up.

Harvesting Sweet Pea Flowers

• This plant is grown for its heavily scented blooms. The more blooms you harvest, the more blooms the plant will produce. Picking the blooms in the early morning and placing them directly in a water-filled vase will ensure the longest blooms.

Southern California Pro-tips

• Fall in Zones 9 and 10 can be brutally hot. When seed starting, protect plants from the heat with shade cloth and water deeply.
• Mulch heavily to ensure the soil stays cool and well-watered.
• DO NOT overhead water as this promotes disease.

Succession Planting Tips

• Plant more seeds every 15 days to guarantee a prolonged blooming period.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Flowers and pods are not edible but can be grown as a lovely addition to fall and winter crops. Plant them in with your cabbage, lettuces, and other fall/winter greens. They also look lovely behind shorter plants like our alyssum, borage, and yarrow. Search all our flower varieties here.
• Do you LOVE sweet peas? Try all our varieties including: Finn River Sweet Pea, Heirloom Sweet Pea Mix, High Scent Sweet Pea, Knee High Sweet Pea Mix, Point Loma Sweet Pea, Royal Family Sweet Pea Mix, and SoCal Soiree Sweet Pea.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to sweet peas at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.