I never have a problem with sweet peas. It seems like you are planting them too thick and they don't have support to climb on so you have to tie them. I only have to tie the odd one.

I guess our growing season is much shorter than yours because I never get many pods and they never fill with seeds.

You might try putting in one well spaced row with support and saving the rest of the seed and then plant another row behind and between the first row about 3 or 4 weeks later and letting the second ones climb on the first ones. That way it wouldn't matter about the seed pods you'd still have flowers

campanula is using the standard traditional way of growing sweet peas for cut flowers or for showing over here. They produce longer stems and larger flowers when grown as cordons. I doubt she is sowing too thickly if she's growing as cordons. Mine always go to seed unless cut. I only grow a few plants for cut flowers but they need picking over every couple of days in summer or they will produce pods and stop flowering.

Campanula - I grow mine on tall pea sticks. They hang on by themselves. But I also don't single them to one stem and consequently don't get very long stems for vases.

Well, I sowed so many that I can indulge myself by growing one of each variety on a single cane and let the others (planted in pots of between 4-6) romp up the string between the old tomato supports (the whole allotment is a mass of timber poles, posts, frames, nets and wires - looks like a particularly lethal obstacle course).
As for second and third sowings, not a hope.
So Flora, what do you reckon re.deadheading. Do you think if we miss even one pod, flower production will cease? I generally start off quite enthused.....for a couple of weeks, then it tails off. The best thing about not tying in is ripping great armfuls out to pile on the compost (unlike the stressful and tedious untying which has to be done with tomatos).
One year, I carefully untied them (sweet peas), laid them out on the ground and then started retying, a couple of canes further down the row (the plants had started to overtop their original poles) - never again - a complete 'mare which barely extended the growth by two more weeks!

Campanula - I dont have anything in the way of advice on this, but I just wanted to say how much I enjoy they way you write - very expressive and fun to read!

Campanula - I grow so few I pick all the flowers for the house, so I've never done the experiment to see what happens if you leave some. I just bung the whole lot, stems and pea sticks onto the compost.

Thank you, Mandolls (curious name, by the way...)
I work as a jobbing gardener and the phrase 'less is more' is never far from my lips when referring to customers planting ideas.......yet, I totally fail to take my own advice. My postings (and my gardens) are the opposite of the standards I set for my customers - clear, concise, to the point. Left unsupervised, my gardens, and my writing veers more towards vague, rambling and tangential (and frequently snippy and belligerent).

Which sweetpea variety is your favorite? There are so many of them to choose from, the sea is so big and my boat is so small. Is there one which the makes bee pollinators go wild with joy?

Have you ever seen or grown Lathyrus aureus 'Cally variegated'? It seems to be available in Europe but not in USA yet. I was just curious.

suspect next year I may hit my stride with peas - particularly the lovely L.vernus, L, tingitanus and L.nervosa (forgive spellings) but this year, I am really looking forward to a couple of New Zealand varieties - Erewhon and Blue Shift. A bit weedier but still delightful is a combo of Lipstick (a red, obvs) and Burnished Bronze. Have always loved lavender and cream together and Kings High Scent puts both colours together with spectacular fragrance.

suspect next year I may hit my stride with peas - particularly the lovely L.vernus, L, tingitanus and L.nervosa (forgive spellings) but this year, I am really looking forward to a couple of New Zealand varieties - Erewhon and Blue Shift. A bit weedier but still delightful is a combo of Lipstick (a red, obvs) and Burnished Bronze. Have always loved lavender and cream together and Kings High Scent puts both colours together with spectacular fragrance.

If you want to grow long stems, you need to limit each plant to one stem with a post for each plant and tie it as it grows. Is that right?

So how long does each pole need to be?

Last year I grew the shorter knee high sweet peas on cut branches of fruit trees. The fine branching was a good support for the tendrils to grasp. The long straight part of the branch pushes easily into the ground if you cut it on an angle. I just left them alone except for picking off the pods.

Why do you cut off the tendrils and also can you tie them to a tomato cage wrapping them around and around to save space or is that too weird?

How long is the growth season expectancy of sweet peas last? I'm in Northeast (NJ) Zone6b. If I plant in March will the growth last throughout the summer? I bought from Renee's Gardens: Lipstick, Velvet Elegance, April in Paris, Cupani's Original, Painted Lady, Queen of the Night, and Perfume Delight. Any special needs for these species?

peas and waffles.. you brits will eat peas with anything .. lol .. ken

Yep, sweet peas. I had gotten frazzled to the point where I had decided 'never again'...but immediately missed them on my year off. There was also the mad lathyrus year where I trialled as many pea species as I could get my hands on (appalling mislabelled chaos ensued). Now though, I still have my allotment and have reached some sort of vague equilibrium, sowing a handful of colours on pea sticks (this year, it is back to my favourite- creams and lavenders, so Just Jenny, Creme Eggs, Kings High Scent and Erewhon...with a side planting of lathyrus tingitanus and l.rotundifolius in large pots (topped with metal obelisks and phlox drummondii and legousia (in place of nemophilia).

All very doable.

Thank you Campanula, for the response. I have most of my sweet peas [mostly ordered fromthe UK and a couple US suppliers] potted up, a little late for the season in my zone I believe, but I kept some for fall potting too.

I am waiting on my order from Plant World Seed of: Thalictrum Delavayi and Thalictrum Rochebruneanum and some more primula seed.

Patty