When growing sweet peas you need some sort of support structure for them to grow up. Wigwams are a great choice and both look good in the garden and provide plenty of support for sweet peas to grow up. I will show you a quick and easy way to make a wigwam for sweet peas below.
How to make a sweet pea wigwam
Step 1 – Choose your medium
You just need any long stick to make a wigwam. I use bamboo canes as they are cheap and I already have plenty available. If you want something a bit more aesthetically pleasing then hazel can work really well.
Step 2 – Stick your canes into the ground
Place your sticks or bamboo canes into the ground creating a circle. You want a circle that is about 50cm across or larger.
Push the canes into a decent depth into the ground, at least 15cm. This will help to improve the overall strength of the structure.
Step 3 – Tie the top together
Now we need to tie the top of the wigwam together to give it its shape. You can use string, twine or gardening ties for this. I use a metal gardening tie as it’s what I had lying around, doesn’t really matter what it is as long as it is strong enough to keep everything together.
That’s it, all done. This simple structure is surprisingly strong and will provide plenty of support for your sweet peas to grow up. By the time summer arrives, you won’t even be able to see it anymore as it will be covered in wonderful sweet peas.
Why not grow your sweet peas up an obelisk for an interesting feature in your garden.
More on Sweet peas
sweet peas, (Lathyrus odoratus) are a flowering plant belonging to the legume family. They are an annual flower that loves to climb and spread, in the right conditions and with the correct support they can grow to 2 and a half meters tall!
Unlike many other legumes which are grown to be eaten, sweet peas are grown for purely aesthetic reasons. There is evidence to suggest that the pea seeds from a sweet pea plant are actually toxic to humans and not fit for consumption even if this was desired.
Sweetpea FAQ’s
Are sweet peas perennial?
No sweet peas are an annual plant, they will not come back year after year.
Can you eat sweetpeas?
No, sweet peas are grown purely for their looks. Unlike many other legumes, they are actually toxic to humans if consumed.
Are sweet peas poisonous to pets?
Yes, as they are poisonous to humans they are also poisonous to pets, so make sure you keep an eye on your pets when they are hovering around sweet peas.
How high can sweet peas grow?
With the proper support, sweet peas can grow to 2m or even slightly above!
When do you grow sweet peas?
The traditional season for sweet peas is June and July but with the right care and attention, they can be both started earlier and grown later into the season. Regular deadheading of sweetpeas can massively prolong their flowering period.
How to germinate sweet peas?
I like to soak my sweet pea seeds in water for 24 hours before planting them in a seed tray. This soaking helps to break down the tough shell around the seed allowing them to germinate better.