Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ is a favored choice for gardeners, offering visual appeal and fragrance. Its unique color patterns, reminiscent of a ripe watermelon, add vibrancy to gardens. This variety is a popular addition to cottage gardens and is highly valued for cut flower arrangements.
Getting to Know Sweet Pea Watermelon
Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ is a cultivar of Lathyrus odoratus, distinguished by its striking color palette. Blooms feature vibrant blush-pink petals, evoking shades of fresh-cut watermelon or rosy peaches. These modern grandiflora sweet peas maintain a strong, heady scent, with improved petal size and stem length. They produce three to five blooms on long stems, making them excellent for cutting.
This annual climbing vine grows 6 to 10 feet in a single season, requiring support. It attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies. Its vining habit makes it suitable for trellises, arches, or fences, enhancing vertical garden interest.
Starting Your Sweet Pea Watermelon Seeds
Germinating Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ seeds requires proper timing and preparation. In mild winter regions, sow seeds in late fall for early spring blooms. In colder areas, late winter or early spring is ideal, as soon as the soil can be worked. Starting seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date can give them a head start, though direct sowing is also an option.
Seed preparation is important for optimal germination. Scarification, lightly nicking the seed coat or rubbing it with sandpaper, helps water penetrate. After scarification, soak seeds in room temperature water for 12 to 24 hours.
Plant seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep into a well-draining seed starting mix or prepared garden soil. For indoor starts, use deep containers like 3.5-inch pots or root trainers to accommodate their long taproots, planting one or two seeds per cell. After sowing, water the soil to keep it moist.
As seedlings emerge, provide a support structure like a trellis, netting, or stakes. This support prevents sprawling and encourages upright growth. Once plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall, pinching off the central growing tip promotes bushier growth and more flowers.
Ongoing Care for Sweet Pea Watermelon
Consistent care is important for healthy and abundant Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ plants. They thrive in full sun, needing at least six hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal flowering. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can prevent decline, as sweet peas prefer cool roots.
Sweet peas require consistently moist soil, especially during dry periods, but good drainage is also important to prevent root rot. Water deeply two to three times a week during warm weather, checking the soil moisture by inserting a finger an inch deep. Mulching around the base of the plants helps keep the soil cool and retain moisture.
The ideal soil for sweet peas is fertile, well-drained, and slightly alkaline, with a pH around 7.5. Incorporate compost or well-rotted manure into the soil prior to planting. When fertilizing, choose a balanced fertilizer or one higher in phosphorus and potassium rather than nitrogen, as excessive nitrogen promotes leafy growth over blooms. Apply fertilizer monthly during the growing season to support continuous flowering. Good air circulation around the plants helps prevent fungal diseases.
Troubleshooting Sweet Pea Watermelon Issues
Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ plants can encounter common issues. Pests such as aphids and spider mites are frequent visitors; aphids, small sap-sucking insects, cause stunted growth and yellowing leaves, while spider mites, often found in dry conditions, create fine webbing. Treat these pests with insecticidal soaps or a strong spray of water to dislodge them. Snails and slugs may also feed on young leaves, particularly in moist environments.
Fungal diseases like powdery mildew and root rot can affect sweet peas. Powdery mildew appears as a white coating on leaves and thrives in warm, dry conditions. Proper plant spacing for good air circulation helps prevent its spread. Root rot is caused by overwatering or poorly drained soil. Improving soil drainage with compost can mitigate this issue.
Growth problems like stunted growth or a lack of blooms can stem from nutrient deficiencies, improper watering, or excessive heat. If plants are not flowering well, it might be due to too much nitrogen in the soil, which encourages foliage over flowers. Consistent moisture, appropriate fertilization, and good air circulation are preventative measures to keep plants healthy and minimize disease and pest pressures.
Maximizing Sweet Pea Watermelon Blooms
To encourage a continuous and abundant display of Sweet Pea ‘Watermelon’ blooms, specific practices are effective. Regular deadheading, the removal of spent flowers, is important. This prevents the plant from expending energy on seed production, signaling it to produce more flowers. Deadhead by snipping the flower stem just above the first pair of healthy leaves below the spent bloom, using sharp scissors or pruning shears.
For cut flowers, harvesting sweet peas regularly stimulates new blooms. The best time to cut flowers is in the early morning when they are fully hydrated. For the longest vase life, pick stems when at least two unopened flowers remain at the top, as flowers do not continue to open significantly after picking.
To prolong the bloom season, consider succession planting by sowing seeds in stages every few weeks. This ensures a continuous supply of fresh flowers throughout spring and early summer. Keep cut flowers in a cool location and add a cut flower preservative to the water to extend their freshness. Avoiding exposure to ripening fruit will also help maintain bloom longevity.