Sweet Pea Planting Guide

June

Your June guide to sweet pea

This page is about sweet pea in general. For your zone's exact planting and harvest dates, pick your county below.

Sun full sun

Water moderate

Days to harvest 65–85

Plant depth 0.5″

Spacing 6″

How to water sweet pea
About an inch of water a week keeps sweet pea happy. Check your weather forecast before watering — skip if rain is coming.
Where to put sweet pea
South-facing beds are ideal for sweet pea. Shade from nearby trees or fences costs real production.
Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant sweet pea. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.

Get sweet pea planting dates for your county →

Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are beloved cool-season climbing annuals grown primarily for their intensely fragrant, ruffled blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, and white. They thrive in cool spring conditions, climbing trellises to 4–6 feet, and make outstanding cut flowers. Bloom ceases once summer heat arrives, making early sowing critical for a long cutting season.

Lathyrus odoratus · Flower · Fabaceae family · 65–85 days to maturity

Annual Blooms in Spring Pollinator-friendly Good for cutting Fragrant

Why it matters: If you're just starting a flower garden in your area, Sweet Pea is a forgiving first pick. It tolerates imperfect soil, mild drought, and the occasional missed watering. The reward: weeks (sometimes months) of continuous color.

Get Your Personalized Sweet Pea Planting Dates

Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.

Where Can You Grow Sweet Pea?

Zone Compatibility for Sweet Pea Zones 2a – 9b

1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b

Ideal (data available) Suitable Marginal Not recommended

Planting Dates by Zone

Zone	Start Indoors	Direct Sow	Transplant	Bloom
Zone 2a	Apr 4	May 2	May 30	Aug 22 – Sep 19
Zone 2b	Mar 27	Apr 24	May 22	Aug 14 – Sep 18
Zone 3a	Mar 20	Apr 17	May 15	Aug 7 – Sep 18
Zone 3b	Mar 22	Apr 12	May 10	Aug 2 – Sep 13
Zone 4a	Mar 18	Apr 1	May 6	Jul 29 – Sep 9
Zone 4b	Mar 20	Mar 27	May 1	Jul 24 – Sep 11
Zone 5a	Mar 14	Mar 21	Apr 25	Jul 11 – Sep 12
Zone 5b	Mar 7	Mar 14	Apr 18	Jul 4 – Sep 5
Zone 6a	Feb 27	Mar 6	Apr 10	Jun 26 – Sep 4
Zone 6b	Feb 20	Feb 27	Apr 3	Jun 19 – Aug 28
Zone 7a	—	Feb 18	—	Apr 29 – Jul 22
Zone 7b	—	—	—	Nov 22 – Feb 14
Zone 8a	—	—	—	Nov 25 – Feb 17
Zone 8b	—	—	—	Dec 5 – Feb 13
Zone 9a	—	—	—	Dec 10 – Feb 4
Zone 9b	—	—	—	Dec 20 – Jan 31

Why are some columns showing "—"?

Transplant shows "—" because Sweet Pea is best direct sown where it will grow. Transplanting can disturb the roots and slow growth.

How to Plant Sweet Pea

0.5"

Planting Depth

Between Plants

12"

Between Rows

Growing Conditions

☀️ Sun

Full Sun (6-8+ hours)

💧 Water

Moderate — regular watering

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Consistent moisture produces the best results.

🧪 Soil pH

7 – 7.5

Tolerates slightly alkaline soil. Add sulfur if pH is too high.

🗺️ Hardiness Zones

Zone 2a – 9b

📅 Days to Maturity

65–85 days

Medium-season crop. Start early for best results in shorter seasons.

👪 Plant Family

Fabaceae

Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Fabaceae family crops grew last year.

Succession Planting Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea matures in just 65–85 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 3 successive plantings by sowing every 7.4 weeks.

Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.

Companion Planting for Sweet Pea

✅ Good Companions

Larkspur Foxglove Snapdragon Dianthus

Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →

Growing Tips for Sweet Pea

Soak seeds 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; nick the seed coat with a file for the fastest germination. In cold zones (2–6), direct-sow as soon as soil can be worked, 4–6 weeks before last frost; seedlings tolerate light frost but not a hard freeze. In zones 7–9, fall-sow 8–10 weeks before first frost for earlier, stronger spring bloom. Provide a trellis or netting from the start. Feed with low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer once buds form. Pick blooms regularly — even one mature seed pod stops flower production. All plant parts are mildly toxic if eaten.

Saving Sweet Pea Seeds

Recommended for Your Garden

🌱

Seed Starting Trays $8-20

Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.

🧪

Soil Test Kit $12-25

Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.

🏷️

Garden Plant Markers $6-12

Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.

Reader favourite

Seed Saving & Storage Guide

$27 $157 value

Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.

200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant

Save a lifetime of seed money →

Sweet Pea by State

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Sweet Pea?

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) takes 65 to 85 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.

What zones can Sweet Pea grow in?

Sweet Pea can be grown in USDA zones 2a through 9b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.

How much sun does Sweet Pea need?

Growing Sweet Pea requires Full Sun (6-8+ hours), Moderate — regular watering, and soil pH of 7 to 7.5.