Planting guide
When to plant sweet pea
Scented, frilly climbers that are the classic cool-season cut flower. In Melbourne it goes in Mar–Jun.
- Start as
- Seed, sown in place
- Flowers in
- 11–17 wks
- Spacing
- 15 cm
- Depth
- 2.5 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Regular
- Effort
- Some care
- Colours
- pink, purple, white, red, blue, bicolour, multi
- Frost-tender
- No
When it goes in
● means sweet pea can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's climate zone and season, the way planting guides do it. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Perth | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Canberra | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cairns | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Darwin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Ballarat | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Rockhampton | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Mumbai | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Paris | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ○ |
How to plant sweet pea
- Soak seed overnight and sow 2.5cm deep in autumn.
- Give each plant a trellis, net or tripod.
- Water deeply and mulch the roots.
- Pick every few days so it keeps producing.
Sweet pea varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- High Scent Classicfragrant · 20–22 wksCream flowers
- Knee High Mix Classicdwarf · heirloom · mixed · 13–17 wksMixed colours
- Royal White Classicheirloom · 13–17 wksWhite flowers
- America Classic20–22 wksMagenta flowers
- Beaujolais Classic11–13 wksSold by Diggers
- Bijou Mix Classicmixed · 13–17 wksMixed colours
Where to buy seeds
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Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Sweet pea by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Snapdragon · Larkspur · Stock · Dahlia · Gladiolus · Ranunculus
Not sure sweet pea is right for your space? Answer a few taps and see everything that can go in this week.
Find what else you can plant now