How to Grow Peas:
Snap, Snow, and Shelling Peas

The Three Types of Peas

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• Shelling peas (garden or English peas) have tough pods you throw away. You eat only the round, sweet peas inside.
• Snow peas have flat, thin pods you eat whole, picked while the peas inside are still tiny. They are a stir-fry favorite.
• Snap peas give you the best of both: a thick, crisp, sweet pod you eat whole, with plump peas inside. They are a great first choice, since there is no shelling.

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Bush or Vining Peas?

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• Bush (dwarf) peas grow 18 to 30 inches tall and mostly hold themselves up. A few twiggy sticks keep them from flopping. Best for small spaces and containers.
• Vining (tall) peas climb 4 to 6 feet or more and produce more peas over a longer time, but they need a sturdy trellis, netting, or fence.

Choosing bush or vining is the first big decision in how to grow peas. Many gardeners think tall peas are worth the trellis: the plants get more air, and the pods are easy to see and pick. See our vertical vegetable garden guide for trellis ideas.

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When to Plant Peas

Peas are a true cool-season crop. Timing is a big part of how to grow peas well, since quality drops fast once temperatures climb above 80°F.

• Spring crop: sow 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost, as soon as the soil can be worked and isn't soggy. Peas sprout faster once soil reaches about 60°F, and light frost won't hurt the seedlings.
• Fall crop: sow 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost, so the plants ripen in cool autumn weather.
• Warm climates (Zones 8 to 10): fall and winter are often the best pea season, with planting as early as October.
• A longer harvest: sow a short row every 10 to 14 days through spring. See succession planting.

Check the soil, not just the calendar. Plant peas when the soil is at least 45 to 50°F and dry enough to crumble in your hand. In cold, soggy soil, the seeds can rot or sprout very slowly.

• Raised beds warm up a few degrees sooner and drain better than ground-level beds, so they are a great spot for early peas.
• Getting an early start: some gardeners plant as early as February and cover the row with clear, perforated plastic or row cover to warm the soil.
• Plant in waves: sow two or three plantings 2 to 3 weeks apart. If cold, wet weather ruins one planting, the next one carries on.
• A fall crop up north: heat-tolerant Wando, sown about July 1, ripens in the cool fall weather.

Vegetable Planting Times by Zone

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Print the free PDF

Our free Zone Finder shows your frost dates.

Planting by the moon: an old tradition says to plant peas and other crops that bear above ground while the moon is waxing, from new moon to full moon, and to weed and fertilize while it is waning. Many gardeners still enjoy following it, even though there is no proof it changes the harvest.

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Soil and Site for Growing Peas

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• Well-drained soil. Peas hate soggy ground more than almost any vegetable; wet soil rots seeds and young roots. Aim for a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
• Compost, not nitrogen. Work an inch or two of compost into the soil, but skip high-nitrogen fertilizer. Peas make their own nitrogen with help from bacteria on their roots, and extra nitrogen gives you leaves instead of pods.
• Try an inoculant. A pea and bean inoculant powder adds the right root bacteria. It is inexpensive and helps most in beds where peas or beans haven't grown before.
• Full sun, 6 to 8 hours a day, though peas handle a little more shade than most vegetables.
• Rotate. Don't plant peas where peas or beans grew last year, to keep soil diseases from building up.

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How to Plant Pea Seeds

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Peas are always sown right in the garden. Planting is the easiest part of how to grow peas. They don't like their roots disturbed, so they aren't started indoors like tomatoes.

1. Put up the trellis first. It's much easier to set up supports before planting than after the seedlings are up.
2. Soak the seeds for 8 to 12 hours to help them sprout faster, especially in cool soil.
3. Sow 1 to 2 inches deep. For vining peas, sow 2 inches apart in a double row 6 to 8 inches wide along the trellis. For bush peas, sow 3 to 4 inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
4. Water well, then keep the soil moist but not soggy until they come up, in about 5 to 10 days.

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Trellising and Supporting Peas

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Peas climb with little curling tendrils that grab anything nearby. Giving them support is a key step in how to grow peas: give them something to hold, and they do the rest.

• Netting or chicken wire stretched between two sturdy stakes works for most vining peas.
• Pea sticks, twiggy branches pushed into the ground among young plants, are a free, old-fashioned support.
• A sturdy fence or panel holds up tall 5 to 6 foot varieties heavy with pods in the wind.
• Tomato cages make a quick, easy support for an early crop of peas, before the tomatoes need them.
• Guide them. If a seedling hasn't found the support, gently lean it over. Once a tendril catches, it climbs on its own.

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Watering, Mulching, and Feeding Peas

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• Keep the soil evenly moist, about an inch of water a week in cool spring weather, more in warm spells. Peas have shallow roots that dry out fast.
• Water most carefully from flowering on. Dry soil while pods are forming means fewer, smaller pods.
• Mulch lightly with grass clippings, shredded leaves, or straw to hold moisture and keep the roots cool. See mulching a vegetable garden.
• Feeding is rarely needed. If plants turn pale after the pods start to form, a light side-dressing of compost or a gentle fertilizer can help.

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Growing Snow Peas

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Snow peas grow just like other peas, so everything above about how to grow peas applies to them too. The difference is that you eat the whole flat pod, picked while the peas inside are still tiny. They grow best in cool weather around 60 to 65°F. Hot weather stops the flowers and pods.

• Varieties: Dwarf Gray Sugar grows about 2 feet tall, needs no support, and is ready in about 63 days. Oregon Sugar Pod is a compact favorite. Mammoth Melting Sugar climbs 4 to 5 feet, so it needs a tall trellis, and is ready in about 72 days.
• Put up the trellis first, at least as tall as your variety will grow. A trellis that is too short leaves a tangle, and the pods are hard to find.
• Planting depth: about 1 inch deep in heavy soil and up to 2 inches deep in sandy soil.
• Warm climates: sow snow peas in fall or early winter for a winter crop.
• Picking: pick in the cool of the morning, while the pods are flat and the peas are just starting to form. If you miss them, shell the peas and eat them; the pods will be too tough.
• Keeping: rinse them in cool water, then refrigerate in a closed container. They are wonderful in stir-fries.

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How to Harvest Peas

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Picking at the right moment is the best part of how to grow peas. Most varieties are ready 55 to 70 days after planting, and pods go from perfect to tough quickly, so check daily once they flower.

• Pick in the morning, after the dew dries, when peas are crispest.
• Pick every 2 to 3 days. Peas left on the vine turn starchy, and regular picking keeps the plants making more.
• Use two hands: one to hold the vine and one to pull the pod. Pea vines tear easily.

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Common Pea Growing Problems

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Companion Planting and Containers

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Good neighbors for peas

• Carrots, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and cucumbers grow happily alongside peas.
• Beans take over the trellis. When peas finish in early summer, plant pole beans on the same support for a second crop.
• Keep away from onions and garlic, which can slow pea growth. See our companion planting chart.

Growing peas in containers

• Use a pot at least 8 to 10 inches deep with good drainage, filled with potting mix and compost.
• Bush varieties are easiest. Vining peas work too, with a small trellis or obelisk in the pot.
• Water more often, since pots dry out quickly. See our container vegetable gardening guide.

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How to Grow Peas: Questions and Answers

How long does it take to grow peas?

Most varieties take 55 to 70 days from sowing to the first harvest. Picking usually lasts two to three weeks, until summer heat ends the crop.

Do peas need a trellis?

Vining peas do. Bush peas mostly hold themselves up, with a few twiggy sticks at most.

Why didn't my peas come up?

Usually the soil was too cold and wet, the seeds were planted too deep, or the seed was old. Wait until the soil can be worked, plant 1 to 2 inches deep, and use fresh seed.

Can I grow peas in the same spot every year?

It's best not to. Move peas to a different bed each year to avoid soil diseases.

Are peas good for kids to grow?

Yes! The seeds are big and easy to plant, they sprout fast, and kids love eating sweet peas straight from the pod. See our children's vegetable garden ideas.

For more research-based advice, see University of Missouri Extension on growing peas.

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More Vegetable Growing Guides

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