Wondering how to make sweet peas flower longer? Thank goodness for Monty Don and his generous nature, as the gardening guru even has a pruning hack that he says will boost the flower power of these beloved blooms.
Every bit as fragranced as they are flouncy, there's a reason these cottage garden staples are so popular with gardeners, even if it sometimes feels as if they've faded far too quickly for our liking.
Still, it doesn't have to be this way. That's right: you may already know how to care for sweet peas, not to mention how to grow the annuals from seed, but do you know how to keep them looking their beautiful best all summer long? We didn't think so.
Cue Monty Don and his genius pruning hack.
How to make sweet peas flower longer, according to Monty Don
Oh yes, it really is that easy to learn how to make sweet peas flower longer!
'Sweet pea flowers will rapidly develop seed pods in warm weather and these drain energy from the plant and trigger more seed production at the expense of flowers,' explains Monty Don, who adds that he has 'found that the optimum picking period for sweet peas is about 10 days'.
'It is important to remove every single flower, and to enjoy the resulting fragrant bunches of blooms for the house,' he adds cheerfully.
'Few garden chores can be as pleasant or undemanding as this but be sure to regularly pick all the flowers from your sweet pea plants is the best way to extend their flowering season,' writes Monty Don on his popular gardening blog.
What you will need
Ideal for dead-heading, we rate these super sharp floristry pruners as they come with plant clips to tackle both thick and thin stems
The experts at the National Sweet Pea Society agree wholeheartedly with Monty Don's methods, noting that 'once flowers appear they should be cut regularly or deadheaded to ensure no seeds are produced, otherwise flowering will cease'.
How best to do this, then? Well, Monty says you should grab a pair of sharp garden scissors (we rate these floristry pruners from Amazon) and cut the stems as long as possible, taking care to remove seed heads as quickly as possible.
'This way, in a cool summer, the plants can go on flowering right into September,' he promises.
Considering this has been one of the more miserable summers to date, then, we can't think of a better way to cheer up the (soggy) view from our window than by extending the lives of our beloved sweet peas. If you need us, we'll be in the garden...
