Sweet peas can be a great addition to your garden, but when winter approaches, you may wonder if they can survive frost.
Yes, sweet peas can survive frost. They grow best in warm weather, but can also survive light frost if they have been grown well and are mature enough. It’s important to remember that light frosts do not kill plants; instead, they damage their foliage and can cause them to go dormant until spring arrives again—which could mean that your sweet pea plants won’t produce any more flowers or seeds for another year if you’re unlucky!
How Tolerant Are Sweet Peas To Cold Weather
Sweet peas are a cool-weather plant, but not all that tolerant to cold weather. They need temperatures of about 50 degrees for germination and can tolerate temperatures down to 32 degrees. If your sweet peas get frosted, they won’t survive.
You can avoid this by planting them in early spring after the last frost has passed, or keeping them in containers so you can move them indoors if necessary when the temperature gets below freezing at night.
How To Protect Your Sweet Peas From Frost
- Cover with a frost blanket. If you have a large growing area, covering it with frost blankets can be the best way to protect your sweet peas from the cold. However, if you don’t have a lot of space and need to maximize your growing area, this may not be an option for you.
- Cover with a frost cloth. Another option for covering your sweet peas from frost is using some kind of thin fabric like burlap or cheesecloth that will block out the cold air but still allow moisture in. This is another method that doesn’t take up much space and will help keep your plants warm as well as protected from any potential damage caused by freezing temperatures outside their pots or beds (such as cracking).
- Place in a greenhouse environment. You can also place individual pots inside small greenhouses so they won’t freeze outside at night when temperatures start dipping below zero degrees Celsius (32°Fahrenheit) or lower—just remember these should only be used when necessary since they require extra maintenance compared to other options mentioned above!
Caring For Sweet Peas During The Winter
It’s the time of year when sweet peas die back. But that doesn’t mean they’re gone forever! Here are our favorite tips for caring for sweet peas during the winter:
1. Cut off the top of your plant and place it in a large pot with rich soil. Keep it indoors at room temperature and give it water as needed.
2. If you don’t have a large pot or don’t want to deal with transplanting, you can also wrap your plant in burlap and store it in a dry place where it will get plenty of sunlight (from a window).
3. When spring comes around again, remove the burlap from around the plant, remove any dead leaves from its base, and set it outside so that it can grow again!
Can I Overwinter Sweet Peas?
Yes, you can overwinter sweet peas. The best choice for wintering is a cold frame or greenhouse; these provide the best protection from frost and wind. You can also overwinter them in the house if you have a sunny room that stays above freezing.
- For sweet peas in a cold frame or similar structure, leave them outside until late October and then bring them inside to grow until mid-February (or when there’s enough snow cover).
- For sweet peas in small greenhouses, leave them growing on as long as possible before moving them into the house by early December (or when there’s enough snow cover).
- If you don’t have space for either of those options, try bringing your plants inside once nighttime temperatures start dipping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius), keeping them in an area with direct sun exposure during daylight hours but out of direct sunlight at night when it’s cooler—this will help keep their roots warm while avoiding too much stress on their leaves.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has helped you to make the best decision for your sweet pea plants when winter comes. If you are thinking about overwintering or just starting a new batch of seeds, it’s important to prepare ahead of time to avoid damage to your plants!
