Daily gardening tip · Northern hemisphere · Wednesday 7 October 2026 · mid autumn
Sow Sweet Peas Now for Early Spring Blooms
Sowing sweet pea seeds in autumn gives you much stronger, earlier flowers next spring than waiting until after winter.
20 minuteseasyseeds sowing
Fill deep pots or biodegradable tubes with peat-free potting compost.
Push one sweet pea seed about two centimeters deep into each pot.
Cover the seeds with a little more compost and water them gently.
Place the pots inside a cold frame, which is a simple unheated outdoor box with a clear glass or plastic lid.
Why it works
Sowing in autumn allows the sweet peas to develop deep, strong root systems during the cool winter months while their green top growth remains dormant. When spring arrives, these established roots support rapid growth and produce flowers weeks ahead of spring-sown seeds.
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