Growing Peas

Pisum sativum : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S S S S            
      T T T T T        
      P P P P          

(Best months for growing Peas in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 46°F and 75°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 3 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks. Pick the pods every day to increase production.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Potatoes
  • Peas in pod
  • Shelling peas
  • Young pea plant

Peas are best grown in cooler seasons. Peas need some support when growing, tree prunings with lots of small twigs are a cheap and handy source. Or else strings between posts or wire netting. Peas need tying in the early stages, until they start producing tendrils and clinging to the support.

Some pea varieties are called 'dwarf' but to make harvesting easier it is a good idea to support the plants.

Pick pea pods while young and pick them often to keep them producing.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Peas

Raw straight from the pod in the garden is best!
Raw in salads.
Steamed lightly.
Small pods can be steamed whole.

Your comments and tips

15 Jun 23, John (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I’m in a frost prone area. Can I sow peas in July in green house and transplant out in August. Are the flowers damaged by frost
16 Jun 23, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Peas can indeed be cultivated in a greenhouse and then transplanted. While pea plants themselves can endure frost, their delicate flowers are susceptible to frost damage, hindering the production of a harvest until the frosty conditions have passed
07 Sep 21, Mrs Anne Handley (Australia - temperate climate)
I applied pea straw mulch to prepare my north facing veggie patch (I am a total novice) and pea seedlings emmerged a few weeks after. I have transplanted them into pots for noew as they are tiny. What can I do next and will they bear pods?
08 Sep 21, Anon (Australia - temperate climate)
In the winter the sun crosses in the north of the sky, in summer it is more overhead. Select a place where you want to grow them and plant them out when about 100-124mm high. Keep the soil around the roots best you can when transplanting.
28 Aug 21, sylvia (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I am having a problem with mould underneath of sugar snap peas and black spot on shell of peas. Is any organic product I can use? Thank you.
01 Sep 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Is it mold or powdery mildew. Look up a spray for powdery mildew if it is that.
08 Aug 21, Nikki (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I put sugar snap peas In now or better in autum
09 Aug 21, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You can put them in now if you want to - asap. Probably no later planting than end of August - I'm sub-tropical and I can grow snow peas this time of the year.
09 Aug 21, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
sugar snaps prefer cooler weather. www.gardenate.com/plant/Snow Peas?zone=2
03 Jun 21, Sally (Australia - temperate climate)
I am having a lot of trouble with growing peas. I have corrugated raised garden beds filled with bags of garden soil (like Hortico Garden Soil) from Bunnings. The plants grow very well and give quite a few peas but then they start to go brown starting at the bottom of the plant and it travells up the stalk and leaves until they are all brown and dying. Any ideas?
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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