Question
My father was from Blackpool and loved sweet peas. I am in Region 4/5 in USA. My sweet peas here will grow about five feet tall, but shrivel up at the bottom and have few blossoms. Is my climate too hot for the sweet peas. Could you suggest growing conditions the plant would thrive in.  Thanks.

Answer
Hello Georgina

Thank you for your question.

I don't think your climate is too hot - and sweetpeas will grow happily in sun or partial shade.

What it does need is a very rich soil and a deep root run, so you should be preparing the sweetpea bed now ready to plant out seedlings next year.  

Dig over the growing area to a depth of about 12" to 18" and incorporate plenty of well rotted organic matter, or if you can't get that, good garden compost.

Once your seedlings are in the ground, keep them watered and give them a feed with a liquid general fertilizer every 2 weeks during the growing period.  

Pick some of the flowers every day to encourage the plants to produce more, and cut off faded flowers as soon as you spot them or they will just put all their energy into producing seeds!

Here's hoping for a really good show next year!