About Sweet Peas
Sweet pea, (Lathyrus odoratus) is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands. There are about 110 species. Sweet Pea is a climbing annual flower grown for the delicious scent of its lovely flowers.
This annual flower is available in a huge range of colors, from pearly white through ice cream pastels to ritzy magentas and inky purples. Their beautiful blossoms are known by their honey and orange blossom perfume. The combination of the delightful scent and the ability to produce so many blooms for the garden over a long period of cutting has ensured their popularity.
When Do You Collect Sweet Pea Seeds?
You can begin collecting seeds from sweet peas after the seedpods turn brown and brittle. If you collect the sweet pea seedpods before they are completely mature, they won’t germinate. But, if you wait too long, the seedpods will break open and drop their seeds to the ground! The process can take a couple of weeks, but check them often. If the pods begin to split, you should pick them right away.
How to Collect Sweet Pea Seeds
- At the end of the flowering life of your sweet pea plants, you need to let some of them run to seed.
- Select a few of your healthy, robust and beloved sweet peas plants and stop picking the flowers to encourage seed production.
- When you stop picking flowers and pruning the sweet peas, they will go to seed.
- Check your sweet pea plants frequently, The pods will mature on the plant, developing from light green to brown.
- As the pods develop, they will swell as the seeds form inside.
- Let the peas mature until the pods are brown, and the seeds start to rattle. Once the pods are really dry, the seeds are ready to collect!
- Choose a dry day, and with your fingers snip the pods off the plant.
- Always remember, the seeds can be collected only when the seedpods on the plants have a brown color!
If you want to grow sweet peas in the same spot in your garden again next year, you don’t need to collect the seeds. At the end of flowering season the seed pods will be completely dry, they will pop open and drop their seeds to the ground. Next year your beloved beautiful scented flowers will grow from these seeds!
How to Save Sweet Peas Seeds for Planting Next Season
- After you have collected the seeds, be sure to let them dry out completely before storing seeds. Drying sweet pea seeds is very important, otherwise the seeds could mold while they’re in storage. Even if they appear to be thoroughly dried on the plant, there is still plenty of moisture inside the seeds from dew or rain.
- Remove the seeds from their pods.
- Sweet peas seeds are fairly large, there may be 5 to 7 seeds inside the pod depending on the sweet pea variety you are growing.
- Simply let the seeds sit out for several days until they’re dry. Dried sweet pea seeds should be completely hard.
- Once they’re dry, store seeds in paper envelopes in a cool, dark, and dry location.
- Remember to label your seeds as you pack them up for storage, and you’ll be well on your way to growing sweet peas from your own collected seeds next year!
In this video, I show you the process of collecting sweet pea seeds, it's so simple!
Watch How To Collect Sweet Pea Seeds Video
🛒 High Quality Sweet Pea Seeds 🛒
I hope this helps you learn how to collect and store your sweet pea seeds. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or reach out with any suggestions. So please let us know your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. If you like this, you can share with your friends!
Want to read:
This web site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Some of the links to products on this site are affiliate links. These are products that I've used or recommend based from homesteading experience. I do make a small commission (at no extra cost to you) from these sales.(alert-warning)
