Growing Peas

Pisum sativum : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P P              

(Best months for growing Peas in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 75°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 3 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks. Pick the pods every day to increase production.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Potatoes

Your comments and tips

06 Jun 21, Sally (Australia - temperate climate)
I always let the pod dry on the vine until I can shake them and hear the peas rattle inside (because they have dried out). I then store them in paper bags or cut up printer paper and make pouches for them to be stored in. This seems to work very well.
12 Jul 20, lynette (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I leave my pods on the vine until they are throughly dried out. If you dont want to plant them now, they will keep until next planting season. I keep mine in a paper bag, still in their pods
10 Jul 20, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)
When the crop has nearly finished you need to let the pods dry out, go brown. Dry them out for another two weeks and then put in a bag and then store in an air tight jar in the fridge for next year. Fresh peas will probably go rotten in the soil. I don't know how long seeds need to be kept before they germinate. Google it maybe.
05 Aug 22, clara (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I shelled my seed peas green last year and left them in a bowl in the kitchen to dry. 90% germination rate when they were planted out 6 months later.
23 Jun 20, Aubrey (USA - Zone 7b climate)
When is it time to pull out pea plants?
14 Jun 20, Andre Crous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
What types of soil do peas like
15 Jun 20, Anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Soils range from very sandy to heavy clay, in the middle is loam. A good loamy soil with plenty of compost added to it will grow just about all vegetables. As long as you have a sufficient supply of nutrient and water you can grow things in anything, water, sand, pebble, soil, straw etc.
17 May 20, Chris Chitumwa (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Thanks for the info. I was looking for the best time to grow peas in my small garden. The article was very helpful.
19 May 20, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hoped you looked up your climate zone in S A for the info. Planting is a couple of months later than sub- tropical Australia. We receive most of our rain in the summer also.
08 May 20, Heather (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi. Newbie here both to this site and to veggie growing in general. Thrilled to find your site. I have two questions about Mammoth 'Snow Peas' which I planted in late April (doing well). First, how long might these plants bear in my sub-tropical region and should I continue sowing more peas into autumn? And, second, I've seen advice to pick the young shoots on pea plants (edible, I'm told) to encourage them to become more 'bushy'; does this apply only to 'bush' type peas or to climbing varieties also? Thank you in anticipation.
Showing 41 - 50 of 196 comments

How tall do pea vines grow? I am trying to determine how tall my supports need to be. Also, what kind of soil and how much sunshine do they prefer? Thanks!

- Mimi

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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