How to grow Peas
Pisum sativum
A cool-season treat — sow as early as you can.
Peas love cool weather and shrug off light frost — sow them as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, wherever you live. They fade fast once it turns hot, so an early start (and a fall sowing in mild areas) is the key everywhere.
Grow Peas with step-by-step help for your exact yard.
Start free in Seededly →Peas at a glance
| Sun | Sun / part shade |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.5 |
| Spacing | 2 in |
| Harvest | 55–70 days |
| Plant | Early spring |
| Note | Frost-tolerant |
How to grow Peas, step by step
Sow early
- Direct-sow as soon as the soil is workable — they handle cold and light frost.
- A fall crop also works where summers cool off early.
Give support
- Most peas want a trellis or netting to climb.
- Keep the soil moist while they germinate and flower.
Harvest by type
- Snap peas: pick when plump and crisp. Snow peas: pick flat. Shelling: when pods fill out.
- Pick often to keep the vines producing before heat ends the run.
Peas problems & fixes
Peas — Poor germination: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Soil too cold and soggy, or birds. Re-sow and protect; peas rot in waterlogged ground.
Peas — Plants yellow and stop in summer: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Heat — peas are a cool-season crop. Sow earlier next time and try a fall crop.
Peas — White powder on leaves: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Powdery mildew late in the run. Pick the crop and pull the vines; choose resistant types.
Recommended peas varieties
- Sugar Snap — Best — eat whole. Sweet, crunchy edible pods — eat them straight off the vine.
- Lincoln — Shelling. Heavy yields of classic sweet shelling peas; heat-tolerant.
- Oregon Sugar Pod II — Snow pea. Flat, tender pods for stir-fries; compact and productive.
Peas month-by-month
| January | Plan; order seed. |
|---|---|
| February | Prep the bed. |
| March | Sow as soon as soil thaws. |
| April | Vines climb; keep moist. |
| May | Flowers, then first pods. |
| June | Peak harvest — pick often. |
| July | Heat ends the spring crop; pull vines. |
| August | Rest the bed. |
| September | Sow a fall crop in mild areas. |
| October | Fall harvest where it’s cool. |
| November | Last pickings. |
| December | Off-season. |