Common problems

Mice eat seeds before they germinate — sow with a mousetrap nearby or pre-germinate on damp kitchen paper indoors.

Slugs love seedlings — copper bands or wool pellets at planting out, and a circle of grit around the base.

Bud drop in hot weather is normal; the plants resume once the heat breaks. Water deeply, mulch, and trust.

Stunted purple-tinged growth: sweet pea root rot (Fusarium) in waterlogged soil. Lift, bin, rotate — don't replant sweet peas in the same spot for 3 years.

Powdery mildew in late season — strip lower leaves and increase airflow; usually it doesn't shorten the picking season much.