Learning how to grow peas is one of the best things you can do. These versatile, delicious veggies are huge producers and extremely healthy.
Have you ever wondered how to grow peas? Green peas are one of those tastes that embody spring: bright green, crisp and sweet. Knowing how to grow peas in the vegetable garden gives us a never ending supply, and everyone should devote some garden space to this cool-season crop. But peas have an interesting history, too! Before humans developed agriculture, sweet peas were an abundant crop and a staple food that hunter-gatherer peoples would forage regularly.​
Interestingly, the Romans believed that freshly picked peas were poisonous, so they dried all peas before consumption. This was the common practice until a French gardener under the reign of King Louis XIV developed a pea hybrid called petits pois. These smaller, delicious fresh peas exploded in popularity with the king and thus spread to worldwide appeal. Now people all over grow peas. While we think of peas as a vegetable nowadays, the pod is biologically considered a fruit, and the sweet-tasting peas are seeds. All peas are considered part of the legume family, along with beans and other podded produce. Let’s dive into the world of growing Pisum sativum, the pea plant. We’ll go over how to grow peas, what environments are optimal, and even how to store them for eating later!
Planting Peas
Peas are a cool-season crop. Most people plant peas in the early spring as soon as the soil is workable, as they can tolerate light frosts. Plant six weeks before the last frost date if the ground is warm year-round. Planting peas in fall is also an option. Plant 8-10 weeks before the first frost for best growth and the largest fall harvest. In California or the gulf states, many people grow peas from seed all winter and early spring. Cooler temperatures are preferred by the plants. Gardeners in the south typically sow peas as a mid or late fall crop. The seeds go dormant throughout the winter and sprout as soon as possible in the spring. This ensures an early spring harvest. Unlike many other plant types, plant your entire cool-season crop of peas at once, whether early-season or late-season plants. This gives your plants the maximum time to produce before it becomes too warm or too cold. Planting peas like this ensures you’ll have an abundant crop with a steady harvest over a few weeks rather than a large crop all at once. As peas are tolerant of partially-shaded conditions, plant your peas in beds that receive anywhere between 4-8 hours of sun or a mix of dappled shade and sun. This means that peas can go in areas that other vegetables can’t! When choosing how to grow peas, they can be planted nearly anywhere if you’re planting self-supporting or dwarf varieties. However, vining varieties need to be trellised or staked to offer support as they grow. Larger pea plants require more support. If you’re planting a variety that is anticipated to reach 5-6’ in height, have your trellis in place when you plant so that the peas can climb. Avoid planting in areas with high winds, as pea vines are sensitive and can be damaged if blown off their supports.