How to Grow Peas in Your Home Garden
GROWING PEAS: Garden peas are an easy-to-grow staple in most gardens… plus, a printable growing guide! The very first thing you should know is that peas need well-drained, moderately fertile soils and a sunny location.
How to Grow Peas
When you’re ready to plant your garden, you’ll know how to grow peas!
Snap peas and snow peas have flat pods that you can eat without shelling. Check for strings on some varieties; you need to remove these before eating.
To enjoy fresh peas, you must take off the outer husk to get to the peas inside.
Fresh peas are a healthy addition to salads, veggie trays, and side dishes. They also offer important nutrients for your diet!
For more nutritional information, please read:
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- How to Grow Corn In Your Garden
- HOW to GROW PUMPKINS | How to Grow Series
- How To Grow Green Beans ~ In Your Garden
- DIY Soil pH Test Kit: How to Test Soil pH at Home
HOW TO GROW PEAS IS PART OF THE HOW TO GROW THINGS SERIES!
WE WILL COVER:
- Soils
- Sunlight
- Temperature
- Planting instructions
- Cold Hardiness
- Days to Germinate
- Thinning
- Trellis
- Days to Maturity
- Harvesting
- Storage Tips
- Plus, a few fresh Garden Pea recipes!
Find Your Zone: Free USDA Zone Planting Guide
1. SOILS:
- Peas need soil that drains well and has a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. You can raise the pH by adding wood ash or garden limestone)
- The soil should be moist but not soggy.
- You can grow peas in garden beds, containers, or pots.
- If using containers, ensure they have at least 10 inches of soil.
- Use Organic All-Purpose Fertilizer
Soils differ greatly based on where you live, so they require different soil amendments. You can easily test your soil using an inexpensive soil tester from Amazon.
2. SUNLIGHT:
Peas love full sun but can handle some shade. They need about 6 hours of sunlight for healthy growth.
3.TEMPERATURE: the best temperature for growing peas
Peas can be grown in all temperatures but they prefer cooler to moderate temperatures.
They do not tolerate hot weather so plant as early as possible and then again in the late summer or early fall for later harvest.
Sow your fall planting approximately 2 months before scheduled frosts for your area.
4. PLANTING:
Plant peas as soon as the soil is ready in spring. Peas are nitrogen fixers, which means they take nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil.
As part of the legume family, they help enrich your garden soil. To boost their nitrogen-fixing ability, add an inoculant to the seeds when planting.
Specifics on Planting Peas:
- Plant in 3-inch-wide bands.
- Dig holes 1/2 to 1 inch deep.
- Space seeds 2 inches apart in all directions.
- Plant bush varieties in rows that are 12 to 18 inches apart.
- Space trellis varieties 4 to 6 feet apart.
- Plant about 35 seeds every foot.
- Weed by hand or use mulch to keep weeds down.
Keep soil moist but not wet and soggy.
French Watering Cans are especially useful. 
COMPANION PLANTS:
Peas LOVE beans, corn, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, potatoes, and turnips, BUT peas DO NOT like the onion family.
♦Please Note: Add this info to your Your Garden Journal!
5. COLD HARDINESS
Planting Time:
Plant peas when the soil is ready in spring. They grow best in cool weather, but avoid long periods of cold and wet conditions that can rot the seeds.
6. Germination Time:
Pea seeds usually sprout in about 7 days. Keep the soil moist, but don’t overwater.
7. Seed Thinning:
You usually don’t need to thin pea plants since the large seeds are spaced well. Planting them close helps them support each other.
8. Trellis Support:
Using a trellis makes it easier to pick peas as they grow.
Tall Vining Peas need a trellis or some type of support. Chicken wire fencing, hog panels or stakes and string all work well for trellis’.
Here are a few varieties that benefit from growing on a trellis.
- Green Arrow Shelling Peas
- Sugar Ann Snap Peas (edible pea pods)
- Dwarf Grey Pea Pods can be used as Snow Peas or Snap Peas
9. DAYS TO MATURITY:
Early peas usually take about 52 to 63 days to mature. The time can differ depending on the variety, but you can usually start harvesting after 52 days.
10. HARVESTING PEAS:
Pick your peas when they come out of their shells. For snow peas, harvest them when they are large enough. Pull the tops off radishes and take them out of the soil. Wash away the dirt, then eat or store them.
11. STORAGE IDEAS:
Wash the peas and store them for fresh eating. Use a breathable container and keep them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 4 weeks. If you prefer, blanch them quickly and freeze them in bags, containers, or jars.
For more help with food storage, take a look at this Ball Canning & Freezing Booklet.
9. DAYS TO MATURITY:
Early peas usually take about 52 to 63 days to mature. The time can differ depending on the variety, but you can usually start harvesting after 52 days.
10. HARVESTING PEAS:
Pick your peas when they come out of their shells. For snow peas, harvest them when they are large enough. Pull the tops off radishes and take them out of the soil. Wash away the dirt, then eat or store them.
11. STORAGE IDEAS:
Wash the peas and store them for fresh eating. Use a breathable container and keep them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for up to 4 weeks. If you prefer, blanch them quickly and freeze them in bags, containers, or jars.
12. RECIPE IDEAS for PEAS
Some Great Recipe with Frozen Peas
Do Not Forget to:
- Simple Eating Fresh!
- Adding to Healthy Garden Salads
- Snap Peas and Snow Peas are Beautiful garnishes plus work very well on Vegetable Trays
HOW TO GROW PEAS | How to Grow Series
Planting Shell Peas, Snow Peas and Snap Peas
Materials
- PEA SEEDS
- Garden Soil or
- Potting Soil
- Organic Fertilizer
- *Inoculant made especially for Peas (optional)
Tools
- Trowel or Shovel
Instructions
1. SOILS:
- All peas need well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 (adjust to higher pH with wood ash or garden limestone)
- Moist soils but not waterlogged
- Garden Bed, Containers or Pots all work well
- Just make sure to have at least 10 inches of soil in your containers
Depending on your geographic location, soils vary tremendously and need different soil amendments.
It is easy to find out how to test your soil an inexpensive soil tester kit
2. SUNLIGHT:
Peas love full sun but can tolerate a little bit of shade; 6 Hours of full sun should be enough for a healthy crop.
3. TEMPERATURE:
Peas can be grown in all temperatures but they prefer cooler to moderate temperatures.
They do not tolerate hot weather so plant as early as possible and then again in the late summer or early fall for later harvest.
Sow your fall planting approximately 2 months before scheduled frosts for your area.
4. PLANTING:
Peas need to be planted as early in spring as soon as the soil can be worked.
Specifics on Planting Peas:
- Plant in 3 inch wide bands
- 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep
- 2 inches apart in all directions
- Bush varieties can be sown in rows 12 to 18 inches apart
- Trellis varieties need to be sown 4' to 6' apart
- 35 seeds plants 1 foot
- Hand Weed or Mulch to suppress weeds
Radishes are fast growing so keep soil moist.
5. COLD HARDINESS:
Plant as early as soil can be worked in the spring. All peas tolerate cool weather very well. Just watch for prolonged cold, damp weather as the seeds can rot.
6. DAYS to GERMINATE: approximately 7 days
Peas typically germinate in approximately 7 to 9 days
7. THINNING:
You should not have to thin your pea plants as the seeds are large enough to allow you to properly space them out when planting. Close wide band plantings allow plant to help support each other.
8. TRELLIS for PEA PLANTS:
Peas are so much easier to pick if they have some type of trellis or support while growing.
- Green Arrow Shell Peas
- Sugar Ann Snap Peas (edible pea pods)
- Dwarf Grey Pea Pods
Tall Vining Peas need a trellis or some type of support. Chicken wire fencing, hog panels or stakes and string all work well for trellis'.
9. DAYS to MATURITY: varies but early peas mature in approximately 52 to 63 days
Peas mature at different rates due to the variety but generally can start to be harvest in approximately 52+ days.
10. HOW to HARVEST:
- Begin harvesting your peas as soon as the peas full out their shells or for snow peas as soon as they are large enough to pick
- Carefully pulled tops of radishes and ease out the radish.
- Wash of dirt then eat or store
11. STORAGE IDEAS:
- Wash and Store for fresh eating
- Store in breathable package
- Refrigerator Crisper Draw
- Up to 4 weeks
- Or, quickly blanch and put in freezer bags, containers or jars for freezing
12. RECIPE IDEAS for PEAS:
- Lightly Steamed and served with a little butter
- Fresh Pea Salad with Carrots and light mayonnaise dressing
- Saute with Chicken and served over rice or quinoa
- Simply Eat Fresh!
- Add Peas or Pea Pods to Healthy Garden Salads
- Pea Pods make beautiful garnishes
- Plus, work very well on Vegetable Trays!
Notes
*SPECIAL NOTE: Peas are nitrogen fixers. They grab nitrogen out of the air and fix it in the soil. Being members of the legume family, they help add this important nutrient to your garden soil.
To increase their ability to fix nitrogen, add an inoculant to the pea seed as you are planting.
FOR COMPANION PLANTINGS: Peas LOVE Beans, Corn, Carrots, Cucumber, Radishes Potatoes, Turnip BUT Peas DO NOT Like The Onion Family
Just found your website and love it. I do have a question.
What if my peas have developed, but are not getting any fatter, just thin and of course not ready to eat. We have had every kind of weather you can think of this spring and now it’s hot. We. live in north Georgia.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
My first thought is you might have Snow Peas which have flat edible pea pods. Double check your variety. If you do have snow peas, they are wonderful. Try sautéing, or steaming! Perfect addition to stir-fry!