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Peas

Pisum sativum

VegetableLegumeCool-seasonBeginner Easy

One of the first crops you can sow in spring. Peas fix their own nitrogen, so skip the feed, give them something to climb, and pick often — but don't sow into cold, wet soil.

Growing conditions

Light
Full sun, 6+ hours of direct sun per day; tolerates light afternoon shade in warm regions
Water
Medium
Soil
Loose, well-drained loam rich in organic matter; avoid heavy, waterlogged soils that rot the seed · pH 6.0–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral; extension guides cite 5.8–7.0)
When to sow
Sow 4–6 weeks before your average last spring frost, as soon as the soil can be worked. Peas are frost-tolerant and seedlings shrug off light frost; mature plants survive to roughly -12°C (10°F). In mild-winter zones 8–11, also sow in late summer/fall for a winter crop. (RHS-style UK 'March–June' timing runs later and milder than most US gardens — go by your local frost date, not a calendar month.)
Spacing
2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) apart in the row, rows 45–60 cm (18–24 in) apart
Days to maturity
52–70 days from sowing (earliest snap types ~52 days; shelling types ~63–70 days)
Hardiness
USDA zones 2–11 as a cool-season annual; grown in early spring everywhere, and as a fall/winter crop in mild zones 8–11

How to grow it

  1. 1

    Sow into workable, cool soil

    Plant seed 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) deep and 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) apart as soon as the ground can be worked in spring — 4–6 weeks before your last frost. Seed will down to about 4°C (40°F) but comes up far faster and more evenly around 15–18°C (60°F).

  2. 2

    Inoculate for free nitrogen

    Peas are legumes that with soil bacteria (Rhizobium leguminosarum) to fix their own nitrogen in root nodules. Dust the damp seed with a garden pea/vetch inoculant before sowing, especially the first time you grow peas in a bed.

  3. 3

    Stake or trellis early

    Even 'bush' peas climb a little, and vining types reach 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft). Set up netting, brush, or a trellis at sowing time so the tendrils can grab on as they grow, keeping pods off the ground and air moving through the foliage.

  4. 4

    Water steadily and mulch

    Give peas about 2.5 cm (1 in) of water per week, and deep water during flowering and pod-fill, when even short droughts shrink the harvest. around the base to keep the soil cool and moist as the season warms.

  5. 5

    Thin and tend the rows

    If seedlings come up too thick, thin to about 5 cm (2 in) apart so each plant has room and light. Pull weeds gently — pea roots are shallow — and avoid deep cultivation close to the stems.

  6. 6

    Succession sow for a longer harvest

    Peas crop over a short window, then quit when heat arrives. Sow a fresh batch every 2–3 weeks in spring, and sow a late-summer for a fall crop in cooler zones, to stretch the season.

  7. 7

    Pick often and feed the soil after

    Harvest pods as they reach their type's prime (see harvest) and keep picking — regular harvesting tells the plants to keep producing. When the patch finishes, cut the vines off at the soil line and the tops.

Gardener's notes

  • More nitrogen does NOT mean more peas — these legumes fix their own nitrogen, and a rich nitrogen feed gives you leafy vines with few pods. Inoculant plus beats fertilizer.
  • Peas are sprinters, not marathoners: they crop heavily for a couple of weeks then fade in heat. Plan sowings and a fall crop rather than expecting one planting to last all season.
  • 'Sugar peas' is ambiguous — snap peas have rounded, edible pods you eat whole, while snow peas have flat, tender pods picked before the seeds fill. Both differ from shelling peas, where you discard the pod and eat only the inner peas.

Varieties worth knowing

Green Arrow
Shelling (English) pea — pick the plump pods and eat only the round peas inside; tall reliable heirloom, ~68–70 days, some disease resistance.
Sugar Ann
Snap pea — eat the whole sweet, crisp pod; compact ~50 cm (20 in) bush type, very early at ~52–56 days, an All-America Selections winner.
Sugar Snap
Snap pea — the classic edible-pod variety; tall vines to ~1.8 m (6 ft) that need a trellis, germinates well in cool soil, ~62–70 days.
Super Sugar Snap
Snap pea — powdery-mildew-resistant improvement on Sugar Snap with shorter, more manageable vines and concentrated early yields.
Oregon Sugar Pod II
Snow pea — eat the flat pods young while the seeds are still tiny; compact vines, powdery-mildew tolerant, ~65–70 days.

Common problems & fixes

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi)
Sign: White, powdery patches on leaves, stems, and pods, usually late in the season as days warm; leaves yellow and dry out.
Fix: Plant resistant varieties (e.g., Super Sugar Snap, Oregon Sugar Pod II), give plants full sun and airflow on a trellis, avoid overhead watering, and sow early so the crop matures before warm, mildew-prone weather.
Pea aphid
Sign: Clusters of small green soft-bodied insects on shoot tips and flower buds; sticky honeydew, curling leaves, and stunted growth.
Fix: Knock them off with a strong jet of water, encourage ladybugs and other beneficials, and spray insecticidal soap if numbers climb. Aphids can spread pea viruses, so manage them early.
Poor germination / seed rot in cold, wet soil
Sign: Sparse, gappy rows; seeds that never emerge and turn mushy when dug up.
Fix: Wait until soil drains and warms toward 10–15°C (50–60°F), don't over-soak seed (under 24 hours), and sow into a raised or well-drained bed. A wider sowing rate compensates for some loss.
Root rot complex (Pythium, Fusarium, Aphanomyces)
Sign: Yellowing, wilting plants with brown, soft roots; common in heavy, waterlogged ground.
Fix: Improve drainage, don't overwater, and rotate — avoid growing peas or beans in the same spot more than once every 3–4 years.

Companions

Grows well with
CarrotsRadishesLettuceSpinachTurnipsCucumbersCorn (as a living support)
Keep apart from
OnionsGarlicLeeksShallotsChives

Harvest & storage

Harvest
Pick in the morning when pods are at their peak, and harvest every 1–3 days to keep plants producing. Shelling peas: when pods are bright green and well filled with rounded peas that touch inside (before the pod turns waxy and the peas go starchy). Snap peas: when pods are plump and rounded, about 7 cm (3 in) long, and snap crisply — eat pod and all. Snow peas: while pods are still flat and tender, about 5 cm (2 in) long, before the seeds swell. Hold the vine with one hand and pull the pod with the other so you don't tear the plant.
Storage
Peas lose sweetness fast as their sugars turn to starch, so cool them right after picking. Refrigerate unwashed pods in the crisper and use within 5–7 days. To freeze, shell (or trim snap/snow pods), blanch about 1.5 minutes in boiling water, cool in ice water, drain, and freeze — this locks in color, nutrients, and sweetness.

Sources

This guide is curated from authoritative horticulture references — primarily US university Extension services, the USDA, and the RHS.