Peas

Basics to Know About Peas

• Common name. Pea, garden pea, green pea, sugar pea, English pea snow pea
• Botanical name. Pisum sativum
• Family: Leguminosae (other legumes include beans, peanuts, and lentils)
• Peas grow 6 to 10 peas or seeds in a pod. Seeds are either smooth or wrinkled depending on the variety.

Peas are easy to grow. And, there are many kinds of peas to choose from. Garden peas–or English peas as they are sometimes called–are available in both bush and climbing varieties. They are eaten after being shelled. Snap and snow peas have edible pods. Snap peas are full, sweet, and crunchy–and can be eaten pod and all or shelled. Snow peas are flat, sweet, and crunchy and are eaten whole, never shelled.

Garden peas, also called English peas, and snap peas, also called sugar peas, are grown for the maturing seeds in the pods. These are harvested when pods are 4 to 6 inches long and pods are bulging but before the pods begin to dry.

Peas are commonly a cool-season crop that must mature before hot weather arrives. The ideal growing temperature for peas is 55°F to 70°F. So, peas must be grown between the time when the ground is workable and the heat of summer, so peas, for the most part are a spring crop, 

Peas are commonly a cool-season crop that must mature before hot weather arrives. The ideal growing temperature for peas is 55°F to 70°F (13-21°C), and so are sown in the garden in early spring about 6 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked. Some gardeners try to utilize the coolness of autumn by making late sowings, but a successful fall crop is not a sure bet.

Shelling peas are the classic garden pea. There are early, mid-season, and late varieties; there are bush (Laxton's Progress Pea is a bush shelling pea.) and tall types. Pole peas grow 3 to 6 feet tall and need a pole, trellis, fence, or net to climb mature in about 60 to 80 days. (Lincoln and Blue Shelling Peas) Bush peas grow 1 to 3 feet tall and are quicker to harvest than pole types, usually maturing in about 55 days. but bear fewer pods.  Harvest shelling peas when the pods are full of round seeds. Petit pois are varieties of shelling peas that produce small pods, just 2 or 3 inches long.

Snow peas (called Mangetout in Europe) are not shelled, but picked before the seeds inside begin to form bumps. These peas can be picked at any stage and can be eaten raw or quickly cooked. There are both bush and climbing varieties (Blue Snow Peas are climbing and Oregon Giant Snow Peas are bush). The pods will be 2 to 3 inches long with tiny seeds that barely bulge in the pod. Snow peas sometimes have fibrous strings that must be removed.

Finally, snap peas combine the qualities of English peas and snow peas. Snap peas can be eaten when they are young like snow peas or the pea seeds can be allowed to enlarge. They grow best with some support. Snap or sugar and snow peas are grown for their edible pods. These are harvested when pods are 1½ to 2½ inches long and the peas inside are barely visible. Snap peas grow to bush size, 2 to 3 feet tall.

Where to Plant Peas

• Plant peas in full sun or partial shade.
• Grow peas in rich, loamy soil that is well-drained. Peas will produce earlier if planted in sandy soil. Later crops can be planted in heavier, clay soil.
• Peas prefer a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.8. Do a soil test before planting.
• Grow peas supported by poles, a trellis, or a fence.
• Peas will grow in a container at least 8 inches deep. Plant 12 seeds per 12-inch pot or 15 seeds per square foot box.

Planting Time

• The ideal germination soil temperature is 45° to 75°F.
• At 75°F, peas seed germination takes 5 to 7 days. Use an inoculant available form a garden center when planting in chilly soil or clay soils.
• The ideal growing temperature for peas is 55°F to 70°F (13-21°C).
• Sow peas in the garden 6 weeks before the average last frost date in spring or as soon as the soil can be worked (ground is not frozen). In 2023, zone 7's last frost date in April 17, so 6 weeks before this is March 6.
• For pole pea seeds, sow two seeds, 2 inches deep, 2 to 3 inches apart in double rows in a circle around a pole or stake, 8 to 10 inches from the pole.
• Bush peas can be planted close together in wide rows; they will hold each other up. Dense planting is recommended in warming growing regions; the dense mass will keep all cool.
• To speed germination, soak seeds in a flat dish of water; spread the seeds in the flat dish and then add enough water to come halfway up the pea seeds. Soak seed for 4 to 6 hours before sowing.
• For Self Sufficiency: Plant 30 plants per household member.

Companion Plants for Peas

• Good companion plants for beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radishes, and turnips.
• Do not plant next to garlic, onions, or potatoes.

Watering Peas

• Keep the soil evenly moist. Do not allow the soil to dry out.
• Avoid getting plants wet when they are flowering or the crop may be reduced.

Feeding Peas

• Add aged manure and aged compost to planting beds in advance of planting.
• Side dress plants with aged compost at midseason.
• Cultivate gently around peas to avoid harming the fragile roots.

Pea Care

• Mulch around peas with aged compost to keep down weeds and conserve soil moisture.
• Mound soil up around the base of peas to help support the plants. Bush peas are best supported by mounding soil or spacing plants close together.

Harvesting Peas

• Peas will be ready for harvest 55 to 80 days from sowing depending on the variety. 
• Pea seedlings can be harvested as microgreens.
• Pick sugar and snow peas when pods are 1½ to 2½ inches long and peas are just barely visible within the pods.
• Pick pea pods gently so as not to break the plant or pull out the roots. Hold the plant in one hand as you pull the pods with the other.
• The sugar in peas will begin converting to starch as soon as peas are picked. To slow the process, chill the peas in their pods as they are picked and shell them immediately before cooking. Use peas fresh or dry or freeze them as soon a possible. Don’t shell peas until just before cooking.
• Peas will continue to produce if you keep the well watered and well picked, every other day or so.

Storing and Preserving Peas

• Garden Peas will keep in the refrigerator unshelled for up to one week. Edible-pod peas will keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days in a plastic bag.
• Peas can be frozen, canned, or dried.
• Freeze peas after blanching them in boiling water then dunking them in cold water; tender, young peas are best frozen. Edible pod peas can be frozen and will lose little flavor.
• Can peas using the raw-pack or hot-pack process.
• Dry peas on the vine until the leaves have turned color. Then pick the pods and shell out the peas. They can finish drying in an airy place out of the sun. Dried peas will keep in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months.