Rainline Garden
When to plant sweet peas in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Plant sweet peas from seed, directly in the garden, Mar 1 – Apr 5. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 2. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 4 to 6 inches apart along a trellis
- Planting depth
- 1 inch deep (soak seeds overnight first)
- Frost
- Handles light frost
- Flowers
- Blooms in early summer
A classic cut flower that loves cool Northwest springs. Sow early, give them a trellis and pick often. The seeds are toxic, so these are for flowers only.
Sweet peas planting dates by city
| City | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Mar 25 – Apr 29 |
| Baker City, OR | Apr 20 – May 25 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 2 |
| Burns, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 4 |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Mar 25 – Apr 29 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Gresham, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | Apr 28 – Jun 2 |
| Medford, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Pendleton, OR | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Roseburg, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Salem, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| The Dalles, OR | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Mar 25 – Apr 29 |
| Bellingham, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Everett, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Forks, WA | Mar 25 – Apr 29 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Olympia, WA | Mar 18 – Apr 22 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Vancouver, WA | Mar 1 – Apr 5 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Mar 20 – Apr 24 |
| Yakima, WA | Mar 27 – May 1 |
How to grow sweet peas
- Prepare the bed: loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant seeds on your city's dates, 1 inch deep (soak seeds overnight first), 4 to 6 inches apart along a trellis.
- Keep the soil evenly moist until sprouts appear, which can take one to three weeks in cool soil.
- Harvest: Cut stems every couple of days; the more you pick, the more they bloom. Plants stop flowering once pods form.
Varieties that do well in the Northwest
- Cupani (very fragrant)
- Spencer mix
- Royal Family (more heat-tolerant)
Watch out for
Aphids and powdery mildew late in the season. Sow early so plants peak before summer heat.
Dahlias
Sunflowers
Tulips
Daffodils