Eating Garden

How to Grow Peas

Pisum sativum

A cool-season vine grown for sweet seeds or tender edible pods.

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At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

    1 of 5 · More shovels, more care

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Average thirst

  • First harvest

    55 to 70 days

    from sowing

  • Growing in a pot

    Suitable for pots

  • Plant spacing

    1 to 3 in apart

More about this plant

Sow peas as soon as thawed soil can be worked, add support for tall vines and keep roots moist while pods form. Pick often before summer heat ends the crop.

  • Grows for one season.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • Fine in a small space.
  • A good one to grow together with children.
  • Ready to pick quickly.

Make it your plan

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What are you starting with?
Where will it grow?

Your plan, starting Nov 10, 2026

Estimated harvest: Jan 4, 2027 – Jan 19, 2027. Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Estimated first harvest

Jan 4, 2027 – Jan 19, 2027

Counted from sowing. Variety, plant age, weather, and care can change this estimate.

Shelling pods are plump, snow pea pods are full length but still flat, and snap pea pods are nearly filled but still juicy and tender.

Cool weather around 55F to 65F. Young plants handle light frost, but frost can harm flowers and production ends as temperatures rise above about 85F.

First, gather a few things

  • Peas seeds
  • A draining pot with room for the roots
  • Potting mix that drains well
  • A watering can or hose
  • Tall vines can reach five feet and need a trellis. Short bush types may lean on each other, but support makes picking easier.

Get ready

Do these before you put the plant or seeds in place.

  1. Start here

    1. Sow as soon as soil can be worked

    Plant in thawed soil at least about 40F so the crop grows before summer heat.

Start or plant it

Follow the steps for the way you chose to start.

  1. 1. Plant an inch deep

    Space seed about 1 to 3 inches apart and follow the packet for the vine type.

  2. 2. Add the trellis early

    Give tall vines a support up to about five feet before their tendrils need it.

Water

Check the soil first. Heat, rain, and pots can change how often this plant needs water.

  1. 1. Check before you water

    Push a finger about 1 inch into the soil. Water when it feels dry there.

  2. 2. Water the roots

    Water slowly at the base until the soil feels moist a few inches down. For a pot, water until a little runs out of the drainage holes.

    Keep the root zone moist during dry weather, especially while pods fill. About one inch a week is a useful start when rain is short.

Need help judging moisture? Read how to check the soil and water the roots.

If the plant looks unhappy

  • Too dry

    Flowers drop, pods stay flat and vines fade early.

    If the soil is dry, water deeply and check it again tomorrow.

  • Too wet

    Soggy ground can rot seed or roots and increase vine disease.

    If the soil is wet, wait before watering again and check that excess water can drain away.

While it grows

Check on your plant and do these jobs as they come up.

  1. 1. Sow another short rowOptional

    A second sowing one week later can spread the spring harvest.

Looking after it

  • FeedingRarely needs feedingBegin with compost and follow a soil test. Do not push soft leafy growth with heavy fertilizer.
  • NitrogenToo much nitrogen gives leaves instead of food
  • SupportA trellisTall vines can reach five feet and need a trellis. Short bush types may lean on each other, but support makes picking easier.
  • ThinningThin seedlings to 2 in apartCrowded seedlings stay small. Pull the weaker ones and keep the strongest.
  • MulchA light mulch holds moisture and keeps the cool-season root zone from drying quickly.

Pick and store it

Use the plant's signs of readiness, then harvest gently.

  1. 1. Check if it is ready

    Shelling pods are plump, snow pea pods are full length but still flat, and snap pea pods are nearly filled but still juicy and tender.

  2. 2. Pick it

    Hold the vine with one hand and pinch or clip the pod with the other. Pick often before pods turn tough or starchy.

  3. 3. Keep it fresh

    Cool peas right after picking and refrigerate them in a vented bag. Use within about one week, and sooner for the sweetest flavor.

More picking tips

  1. 1. Pick for the pea type

    Check shelling, snow and snap peas for their different ready signs and harvest often.

Common problems

    Common mistakes

    • Planting after weather turns warm

      Peas need time to flower and fill pods before heat above about 85F stops production.

    • Forgetting support

      Tall vines tangle and become hard to pick. Put the trellis in at sowing time.

    • Waiting too long to pick

      Old shelling peas become starchy and edible pods become tough. Check every day or two.

    Companion plants for peas

    Some of this is measured in trials and some is long-standing garden practice. Each note below says which it is.

    Good together

    Extension programs recommend this pairing:

    • CabbagePeas fix nitrogen in the soil, which the RHS says helps leafy crops such as cabbage do well.Recommended by extension programs
    How to choose companion plants

    Questions about peas

    Tap a question to see the answer.

    Will peas grow where I live?

    Cool weather around 55F to 65F. Young plants handle light frost, but frost can harm flowers and production ends as temperatures rise above about 85F.

    • LightFull sun
    • ShadeCopes with a little shade
    • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring or fall.
    • FrostSurvives a light frost
    • HeatStruggles in heat

    What soil is best for peas?

    • Soil pH6.0 to 7.5A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
    • Soil it likesLoam, Sandy, Clay
    • DrainageWants well drained ground
    • RichnessHappy in poor ground

    Use well-drained soil improved with finished compost or well-rotted manure.

    Use a soil test. Peas need less fertilizer than many crops, so avoid heavy feeding and extra phosphorus by habit.

    Before changing your soil, learn how to test soil acidity and understand the result.

    When and how deep do I plant peas?

    When to plant

    Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

    • Sow outdoors 0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing seasonSow as soon as thawed soil can be worked and is at least about 40F.
    • Ready to pick about 55 to 70 days from sowing.
    • For a steady supply, sow a few more every 7 days.

    What you need

    • How to start itFrom seedYou can sow it straight into the ground.
    • How deep to plant1 in
      Planting depth: 1 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
    • How far apart1 to 3 inLeave 6 to 18 in between rows.
      Leave 1 to 3 in between plants and 6 to 18 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

    What happens to peas through the year?

    Measured from the start of your growing season, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

    1. Sow outdoors

      0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing season

    How do I give peas a better start?

    Simple ways to help your peas grow, from the soil up.

    • Start with good soil

      Use well-drained soil improved with finished compost or well-rotted manure.

    • Give the soil a cover

      A light mulch holds moisture and keeps the cool-season root zone from drying quickly.

    • Support the branches

      Tall vines can reach five feet and need a trellis. Short bush types may lean on each other, but support makes picking easier.

    • Make room to grow

      Thin seedlings to 2 inches apart.

    Use a soil test. Peas need less fertilizer than many crops, so avoid heavy feeding and extra phosphorus by habit.

    Can peas handle frost?

    Young plants can handle light frost, but frost during flowering can damage the crop.

    Do peas need a trellis?

    Tall types do. Short bush types may stand together, though a low support still makes picking easier.

    When are snow peas ready?

    Pick when the pod is full length but still flat, before the seeds swell.

    When are snap peas ready?

    Pick when the juicy pod is nearly filled but still tender.

    Helpful gardening guides

    Dig into the next thing you need, from starting a garden to getting watering right.

    Starting your first garden? Choose your space and get it ready, then plan local planting times.

    Browse all gardening guides

    Also filed under: Vegetables

    Where this came from

    Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

    Sources & review dates
    Timing
    University of Minnesota Extension, Growing peas in home gardens · checked 2026-09-15
    University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, Time of planting · checked 2026-09-24 · Where frost is rare, cool-season crops are timed to months averaging 55°F to 75°F.
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