When to plant peas

Peas are a cool-season crop that shrugs off frost and light freezes, so it goes in well before the last frost. Type your town to see the dates for your weather station.

The seed packet, in short

Pea planting dates by zone

Each row uses the typical frost dates of a zone: the middle value among towns of 10,000 people or more in it. In zone 6b, for example, the typical last frost is Apr 20, so the first step for peas, sow seed outside, falls Mar 2 to Apr 6. Towns in one zone can differ by two weeks, so your own town's dates above are the better guide.

Good to know about peas

• Sow as soon as the soil can be worked and is dry enough not to stick to tools.
• Peas do poorly once days go above about 80 F, so early sowing gives bigger yields than late sowing.
• For fall, sow in late summer and keep the seed row shaded and moist; peas germinate poorly in soil above about 85 F.

How to plant peas

• Sow peas in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, in well-drained soil; sun gives the sweetest pods.
• Aim for slightly acid soil, around pH 6.0 to 6.5.
• Put up netting, a trellis or stakes at sowing time or right after; adding support once vines are growing can damage the roots.
• Where peas have not grown before, coating the seed with a pea inoculant just before sowing can raise yields; in an established garden it matters less.
• Mulch around the plants to keep roots cool and hold moisture, and water deeply at the soil line, especially once flowers appear.

Types that change the timing

• Shelling (English) peas are grown only for the seeds inside; snap peas have thick, edible pods eaten with the peas; snow peas are eaten as flat pods before the seeds fill out.
• Wrinkled-seeded varieties are sweeter and best for fresh eating, while smooth-seeded ones are starchier and used mostly for dry peas.
• Dwarf and short-vined varieties mostly hold themselves up and tend to mature first; tall vining types can top 6 ft and need a fence or trellis.
• Early varieties are ready in about 55 to 65 days from sowing, later ones closer to 70 to 75 days.

Common mistakes

• Adding extra nitrogen fertilizer; peas make their own, and too much gives leafy vines with fewer pods.
• Leaving pods on the vine too long; they turn tough and starchy and the plant slows down making new flowers.

When peas are ready

• Shelling peas are ready when pods look round and swollen but peas are still tender, about 18 to 21 days after bloom
• Snap peas are picked when pods are full size and crisp, about 5 to 8 days after bloom
• Snow peas are picked while pods are still flat
• Lower pods ripen first; check every day or two

Use shelling peas right away, since their sugar turns to starch within hours; snap and snow pods keep about 2 weeks refrigerated in a bag.