Sowing Lathyrus step by step.

Because I like to have Lathyrus flowering early in the season, already at this time of the year I sow the Lathyrus seeds in pots.

Last year the Lathyrus bloomed very beautiful in my picking garden. This year however, I will have to plant them at a different spot, otherwise the soil will tire out to much. I came up with the idea to put some stakes in my – now excavated - boxwood garden, and let the Lathyrus overgrow these stakes. This will give some height to this now "bare" garden immediately.

I have chosen the variety “Charlies Angels”, because these produce flowers in the most beautiful lavender blue you can imagine. They also bloom richly. They have long stems too, so they are simply ideal to fill a vase with.

Besides all this, the seeds I harvested last year come in handy.

Sowing Lathyrus, step by step:

First you will have to remove the seeds from the pods.

Because Lathyrus makes long roots, I use toilet paper rolls to plant the seeds in.

On each roll I write the name of the Lathyrus.

Because toilet paper rolls have a tendency to fall apart, I put some adhesive tape over it.

Next I put the rolls in a plastic box, in order to be able to water them easily.

Fill the rolls with potting soil. Mind you, do not fill them up completely!

Put three seeds in each roll and then fill it up with potting soil completely.

Do not forget to water them on a regular basis. Lathyrus likes a drink now and then!

Finally I place the plastic box in my - unheated - greenhouse.

Once the Lathyrus are large enough, they - together with the toilet paper roll - should be planted in the soil outside. By doing so, the fragile roots will not get damaged. Eventually the roll will rot away, except for the adhesive tape. That you will find back in your border in autumn and can be removed easily by then.

The whole job described is ready in fifteen minutes!

All that is left to do is waiting impatiently for something beautiful!

information about my garden click here