Sweet peas gone to seed - what do I do?

[NotAroundTheEyes]

I'm a total gardening rube, so this will be a Stupid Question.

I've had the most amazing display of sweet peas, but didn't realise that leaving them to run to seed was disastrous. I am now left with a few flowers and festoons of seed pods.

Is it now just too late to do anything to encourage more flowers? What do I do - cut them right back and give up for the rest of the summer? I don't even know whether sweet peas will come back next year or should just be dug out...

Thanks!

Sweet peas are annuals, so they won't regrow next year, or if you cut the plant back. Take off as many pods as you can, leaving any remaining buds and hope for the best. It may well be too late though. Hey ho.

I adore sweet peas but don't get time to grow my own any more. I was thrilled when I was given a bunch from one pf my pupil's gardens at the end of term :-)

Thanks Ready, that's ace. I'll go out this afternoon and see to the pods. There are so many of them it seems a crying shame you can't eat them!

They are gorgeous aren't they? What a lovely gift!

Bless him, the pupil was very confused as to why I was gushing so much. I think he thought I was overcompensating because it wasn't a big shop-bouquet ... but it really was genuine delight. :-)

Novice gardener here.

I have been given done sweetpeas from a neighbour and my lovely friend potted them with sticks and string support thingy.

How do I tell which are pods and which are buds ? How often should I be looking at it for new pods ?

Can I pull bits off, or do I need something garden related tool ?

Hi Babies = the pods (at least on mine) look kind of fluffy, pale green. The buds aren't at all fluffy, but smooth.

When I've remembered to pick the pods off I've just done it by hand, but I might be wrong!

New buds will be towards the top of the stem and pods will be at the bottom.

Take off the flowers as soon as they have faded to stop pods forming is the best option. Just do it by hand. :-)

Brilliant thanks for the information. :)

Pods look like pea pods but thinner and hairy - completely different to buds. Pick them off when you see them, your sweet peas should carry on producing flowers for quite some time yet. No particular technique to picking them off.

Can anybody advise me if I take the peas out of the sweat peas seed pods can save them for next year and sow again, do I have to dry them or anything (Gardner in training) thanks x

Yes you can save the seeds and sow next year. Cut the pods off, let them dry out then store them in a paper bag or envelope over winter in a cool, dry place.