Help with Sweet Pea

Amataur-ish Gardener Hanbob

 

Hello. This is my first year of owning a sweet pea. I know that it should be planted in the ground but I want it to grow into our back hedge but the hedge is getting unruly now so I had to move it for our hedge to be cut. Anyway, should I cut off the brown/dead bit? That was the bit that flowered earlier on in the year and there is some new growth at the bottom. Any other general sweet pea advice is also appreciated.

Thanks very much!

Fairygirl

Yes - cut off the dead bit.

Is this an annual sweet pea? You're unlikely to get much growth now, and you won't get flowers. What kind of hedge is it - evergreen, deciduous? Type? 

If you're trying to grow them into a hedge, it means you won't be able to cut the hedge while they're there.  They're highly unlikely to grow well in that situation anyway - too much competition for water and nutrients, which sweet peas need a lot of in order to thrive. They'd need planting a good bit away from the hedge too.

Perennial sweet peas are different, but again, growing into a hedge won't be very brilliant for them, unless your conditions are exceptional. 

Can you give a bit more info? 

Amataur-ish Gardener Hanbob

The sweet pea is called Lathyrus Latifolius - Pink Pearl

I assume that the sweet pea is a perennial as on the back of the label I got with it, it says in brackets Everlasting Sweet Pea .

The hedge is a conifer. I'm afraid that I couldn't tell you more than that as it's been there donkeys years. Some of the hedge is starting to die back a bit in some places (as well as getting unruly in others) and I wanted a climbing plant to try and cover the bits dying off.

I live in the fens (South Lincolnshire) the main soil we have is clay-like. The soil near the hedge is quite dry and hard. I don't have a lot of sunny areas in my garden and I know that sweet peas do like a bit. 

Would you recommend that I try to put some compost near the hedge before planting it there? (As well as dealing with the hedge). To try to improve the soil. Or would you recommend somewhere else?

Thanks for your help by the way. It is appreciated