Sweet pea Spencer Royal Wedding

Pinching is an absolutely crucial step to obtain a strong and richly flowering plant. When the seedling grows and develops 2 to 3 pairs of true leaves, simply pinch off the very top of the plant using your fingers or clean scissors.

This prevents the plant from growing only in height and encourages lush branching. New side shoots will subsequently sprout from the leaf axils, making the sweet pea much denser and resulting in significantly more pure white flowers.

Sweet pea requires moderately intensive, but very regular watering.

The soil should never dry out completely, but at the same time, it must not be permanently waterlogged, which would quickly lead to root rot. On hot summer days, water ideally early in the morning or in the evening directly at the roots, so you don't unnecessarily wet the leaves and thus prevent fungal diseases. To maintain moisture, mulching the soil around the plants is highly recommended.

The shorter stems mentioned in the description refer only to the flower stems, which is ideal for creating smaller floral arrangements. The plant itself, however, is a vigorous climbing annual that reaches a height of 100 to 250 cm!

For this reason, it definitely needs support. You can use stretched netting, a wooden trellis, bamboo stakes, or a fence, which it will climb very easily and readily using its tendrils.

Yes, it is possible, but it requires slightly more specific care than in a flowerbed.

The key is to choose a very deep and sufficiently spacious container, as Sweet pea needs to root deeply. You must firmly anchor a sufficiently high support in the container right at the time of planting. Potted plants will require more frequent watering (substrate in containers dries out significantly faster) as well as regular fertilization with a high-quality fertilizer with a higher potassium and phosphorus content for stronger flowering.

Yes, all parts of this plant are poisonous and inedible.

They contain toxic substances that can cause health problems if ingested (a condition known as lathyrism). The highest concentration of toxins is found in the seeds. Therefore, ensure you grow sweet peas out of reach of small children and pets that might be tempted to nibble on the plant. Definitely do not confuse it with edible garden peas!

Yellowing of leaves in young seedlings during pre-cultivation is most often caused by three stress factors:

1. Too much water: Overwatered substrate suffocates the roots and causes them to rot.
2. Lack of space: Sweet peas have a relatively long taproot. If you chose a shallow or small pot, the roots become restricted early on and the plant begins to suffer (this is why pots of at least 9x9 cm are strongly recommended).
3. Lack of nutrients: If the seedlings are in a small pot for too long and you have not managed to transplant them outside in time, they will quickly exhaust the available nutrients.

There can be several reasons for issues during pre-cultivation:

• Too much light: Sweet pea seeds need darkness to germinate. If they were not covered sufficiently with substrate (seeds must be covered), they will not germinate.
• Unsuitable temperature: The ideal temperature is 16 to 20 °C. At temperatures that are too low or too high, germination will slow down or stop completely.
• Overwatering: If the substrate was too wet from the start, the seeds could easily rot.

Practical tip: To speed up the germination of these hard seeds, you can soak them in lukewarm water for a few hours (max. 12 hours) before sowing.

Yes, they are absolutely ideal!

This variety has been specially bred, and although it has slightly shorter flower stems than other types, it is perfect for smaller, compact floral arrangements and wedding bouquets (as its name suggests). An added bonus is their pure white color and extremely strong, aromatic fragrance, which will reliably scent the entire room. For cut flowers, it is best to cut them early in the morning, when the tissues are full of water.

The key to a long flowering period (which lasts from May until the beginning of August) is the regular removal of faded flowers.

If you leave the flowers on the plant, seed pods will begin to form. The plant will then redirect its energy into seed production and stop producing new buds. The 'Spencer Royal Wedding' variety is also excellent for cutting, so do not hesitate to regularly cut the white flowers for a vase, which effectively encourages the plant to continue blooming.

Direct sowing in the garden bed is not recommended for this variety.

Since the cultivation difficulty is labeled as 'Advanced' and the plant absolutely requires a pre-cultivation period of 6 to 8 weeks, direct sowing would mean losing precious time. The plants would begin to bloom very late or might not germinate properly due to spring weather fluctuations. Careful pre-cultivation in warmth and controlled conditions guarantees healthy, strong seedlings and an early flood of flowers.

You can sow in two main terms:

• Autumn sowing: During November and December for very early blooming.
• Spring sowing: Classically from January to April.

Sow seeds ideally into 9x9 cm pots, as sweet peas need plenty of space from the beginning and do not tolerate root disturbance when transplanting. Sow 2 to 3 seeds into each pot. Important: Do not forget to thoroughly cover the seeds with a layer of substrate, as they strictly require darkness for proper germination. Keep the temperature between 16 and 20 °C and you will see the first sprouts in 7 to 14 days.

The most common problems when growing Sweet pea include:

• Aphids: They often attack young shoots and buds. They can be dealt with using a strong stream of water, a soap solution, or a suitable insecticide.
• Powdery mildew: A whitish coating on the leaves that appears mainly at the end of summer during temperature fluctuations and a lack of moisture at the roots.
• Slugs and snails: These are a huge threat to freshly transplanted young seedlings outdoors. Use physical barriers or natural slug pellets.

Transplant seedlings to their outdoor location only when the spring frosts have reliably passed and the soil has warmed up slightly (usually in mid-May).

• Site: Choose a spot in full sun; the plant can also tolerate light partial shade.
• Spacing: Plant at a distance of 10 to 20 cm apart.

When transplanting, be extremely careful with the root ball; sweet peas are very sensitive to any disturbance, which could cause them to die.