Hi, All!

I've had my sweet pea's in a cold frame situation for a few weeks. There were 3-4 sets of leaves on them so I pinched them back yesterday. Now today, I bottom watered them and noticed when taking them out of the watering tray almost all of them were wilted looking. Does pinching them back cause this? Did I over water them? They've been doing great up until this point. I'll admit I didn't use sterile scissors to pinch them back, I used my fingernail.(oops??!) I'm tempted to think it was the watering, but I can't say if they were wilted prior to that for certain. I'd like to think I would've noticed the limpness of the leaves but I can't say for sure. Thoughts? It's in the 40's and overcast again today, so heat isn't a factor. Thanks!!

My only thought is that when you pinched their tops off, you pulled up on the plant a wee bit so distubed the roots. Peas have very fine rooting systems. I know you shouldn't weed around them. Hopefully they will recover.

Daisy

Thanks, @Daisyl! I hadn't even thought of that. Whatever I did wrong, they seem about 80% better. Hopefully by tomorrow they'll be fully recovered : )

I'm glad to hear they are getting better.

Daisy

Sometimes it just takes patience?

I've never pinched back pea plants...is there some benefit to this?

I was wondering the same thing?

It causes them to branch out and produce more flowers.

I am not growing ornamental sweet peas this year but a close relative, sugar snap peas. This year I planted an extra row of sugar snap peas just to pinch back, the young stems and greens are edible and great for adding interest and flavor to cold salads. But the advice I heard was to wait til peas are close to 12" tall to start pinching back, going down about two rows of leaves. The plant will produce more stems and leaves and you can turn back again. I am not pinching back the snap peas that I'm growing for veggie crop. So I will see if this pinching stimulates branching.