How to Grow Peas

General Information

Scientific Name:

Pisum sativum

Common Names:

Peas, garden peas, English peas, shelling peas, snow peas, snap peas, sweet peas

Plant Family:

Fabaceae

Vegetable Type:

Cool season legume

Popular Varieties:

English peas, sugar snap peas, snow peas

Know Before You Grow

Growing Zones:

3 to 9

Crops per Year:

1 or 2 per year, if you are able to do a Spring crop and a fall crop.

Plants Per Person:

10 to 15 feet of row per person. For preservation: 25 to 30 feet of row per person.

Frost Hardy:

Good frost tolerance, as long as the frost is light.

Heat Tolerant:

Poor heat tolerance. Peas love cooler weather.

Stratification:

No

Scarification:

No

Resistances:

Some varieties are resistance to wilt or mildew.

Rotation Schedule

Schedule:

3 year rotation schedule

Follow ->:

corn, root crops, brassicas, onions, garlic, leafy greens

<-Following:

corn, brassicas, leafy greens

Starting from Seed

When:

Peas prefer to be direct sown.

Garden Bed Prep

Soil:

Loose, fertile, well-draining soil

pH:

6.0 to 7.0

Soil Depth:

at least 8 to 10 inches of workable soil

Trellis:

Most peas require support, but dwarf types may not require as much.

Fertilizer:

Peas are usually light feeders. Add 1 to 2 inches of compost and work in well before planting. If your soil is poor, use a light application of a balanced fertilizer. Go easy on the nitrogen please or you will have lots of vines and leaves, but very few pods.

Transplanting

When:

Direct sow only

Direct Sowing

When:

Sow in late winter or early spring as soon as the soil can be worked and is no longer waterlogged. In some climates, peas are planted 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. In milder climates, they may also be planted for fall or winter growth.

Depth:

1 inch

Spacing:

1 to 2 inches apart, rows 18 to 24 inches apart.

Water:

Keep moist, not soggy

Light:

Full Sun to light shade

Soil Temperature:

45° to 75°F

# in Sq. Ft. Planting:

8 supported plants

Days to Germination:

7 to 14 days

Growing Care

Soil pH:

6.0 to 7.0

Fertilizer/Feed:

Peas usually do not need additional fertilizer if their bed was properly prepared before planting.

Days to Maturity:

55 to 75

Water:

Keep the soil moist. Do not let it dry out. At the same time, do not let it get soggy either. Peas like steady moisture in cool soil.

Pruning:

Only anything that is dead, damaged or diseased.

Mulching:

1 to 2 inches can be added after the plants are well established.

Pollination:

Self-pollinating.

Companions & Antagonists

Plant Family:

Antagonists:

Carrots and radish

onions

Lettuce and spinach

garlic

Turnips and brassicas

leeks

cucumbers

shallots

Attracts & Repels

Attracts:

Repels:

bees and other flower loving insects.

Nothing

Pests & Disease

Pests:

Disease:

aphids

powdery mildew

cutworms

fusarium wilt

pea weevils

root rot

leaf miners

damping off

slugs

pea enation mosaic

Seed Saving

When:

When pods are mature and dry, while still on the vine, but while they are DRY…not after a rain.

Method:

Pick and shell, continue drying the peas if necessary.

Storage:

Store in a cool, dry place

Harvest Time

When:

English/Shelling: When pods are plump, but still tender.
Snow Peas: While still flat and tender, before they swell too much.
Snap peas: When pods are full, crisp and sweet, before they become tough.

How:

Pick or snip from the vine.

Storing:

Once picked, peas need to be cooked or preserved within a couple of days. Dry peas, however are usually stored in mason jars, with the air sucked out of the jar.

Preservation Methods:

Canning, freezing, dehydrating

Troubleshooting

Plants flower but don’t make much:

Usually heat stress, drought stress or plants were planted too late.

Pods get tough fast:

Harvested too late or the weather turned too warm.

Plants suddenly stop producing:

Usually heat, disease, or the natural end of their cool season run.

Yellowing Plants:

Could be poor drainage, root problems, disease or nutrient imbalance.

Powdery white coating on leaves:

Likely powdery mildew

Seeds rot in ground:

Usually cold wet soil or poor drainage.

Weak, stunted plants:

Could be poor soil, crowding, rot, or planting in the wrong season.

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