What’s wrong with my sweet pea?

cherrypullinger

I bought a sweet pea on June 10. The first pic is it on the day. It’s not done much since and the leaves look a lot yellower and are crunchy. I’ve potted it and had a Google search but I’m getting conflicting advice saying it’s either overwatering causing the yellowing or underwatering. So which is it? 

Lyn

Is that a perennial sweet pea, if it is, it will do much better in the ground, they are not suited to pots.   They need to really spread their roots, I have them and they are about 10 ft tall now and covered in buds, if you can plant it out it may pick up. 

cherrypullinger

I have no idea, I’ve lost the tag! I don’t have any ground to plant it in, only pots. 

Lyn

I don’t think it’s ever going to be very good in a pot.   You could try giving it some multi purpose feed. Miracle Grow is good. 
Maybe next year you can just go for some pretty annuals, most perennials like to spread and are not suited to pots. 
You can buy a little pack of daffodils and pansies for early Spring flowering, then plenty of pretty flowers for the summer that do really well in pots. 

Helix

Did you put drainage holes in that barrel? 

To me it looks hungry and dry.  As Lyn says perennial sweet peas need to get their roots down, so may never do well in a pot. But you should be able to get it to look a little better. 

cherrypullinger

Yes it’s got drainage