Grow peas in your backyard by sowing pea seeds in Fall. Use garden stakes and string for a simple pea support and improve your soil with organic matter before planting. Peas grow best when directly planted in the soil they will grow in. Plant seeds around 1 inch deep and backfill with soil. Water once when planting and wait for the seed to shoot before watering again.
Simple steps to grow peas
- Choose an area of your garden and set up pea supports.
- Put 1 stake in the ground at the end of each row and run string between the 2 stakes for the peas to climb up.
- Improve the soil with organic matter like compost, aged cow manure, pelleted chicken manure and worm castings.
- Dig the organic matter through the top of your soil.
- Using a small trowel, end of a rake or stick make a long trench for the seeds to drop into around 1 inch deep.
- Drop the seeds in the hole spacing them out 1 inch.
- Cover the seeds with soil.
- Water the seeds well after planting.
TIP: Do not water your seeds again until you see the pea seeds sprouting through.
When to sow peas
Sow snow peas in fall or winter. Wait until you feel the weather cool off and get your peas into the ground.
The best way to plant peas
Peas grow best when planted directly into the garden where they will be growing. Peas that have been moved from a punnet or pot into the garden will slow their growth down when they are moved.
Pea seeds are large making them the perfect plant to sow directly into your garden.
Choose a sunny spot
Snow peas, ornamental sweet peas and sugar snap peas grow best when sown in a sunny position. I have had success in growing peas in part shade but those that get more sun grow bigger and quicker.
Peas that get more sun will grow larger leaves, longer stems and will flower sooner.
Types of Peas
Snow peas
Snow peas are my favorite as you can eat the pods. They are a sweet tasting pea that grows easily in the cool winter months. They have a large seed making them a great seed to plant with your kids because they are easy to handle.
Sugar Snap peas
Sugar snap peas have larger, crunchy pods that are edible and delicious in stir fry. You can shell Sugar Snap Peas when they get larger or put the whole pod fresh in a salad. Grow these peas organically and you can be sure they are delicious and sweet when you pick them.
Ornamental Sweet Peas
Ornamental sweet peas are grown for their beautiful flowers that bloom in late winter. They do not grow an edible pod but instead will grow long stems and flowers. They have smaller seeds than snow peas but are still easy to plant and have a high success rate.
Ornamental snow peas will grow best in full sun but will still produce flowers in part shade.
How long peas take to grow
Early harvest pea varieties will be ready to pick in around 3 months after you sow them. Later harvest pea varieties will take 4 weeks longer until they are ready to harvest. My snow peas were in full flower around 3 months after planting and will be setting pea pods that will be ready to pick in another 2-3 weeks.
Pea plant size
Bush pea varieties grow to around 3 feet tall while full size snow pea plants can grow up to 8 feet or even more if they are grown in great soil. You will need to stake larger pea varieties otherwise they will fall over.
Supporting peas
My favorite ways of supporting peas are:
- Bamboo stakes
- Twiggy sticks
- Other plants
- Stakes and string
- Pea Tee Pees
Support peas with bamboo stakes, sticks or hardwood stakes to stop them falling over. Recycle materials you have at home like old trellis, rio or old pieces of wood to build structures for peas to climb on. This is the perfect opportunity to use up old materials you have at home.
Harvesting peas
Pea shoots can be harvested within weeks of planting. I like to grab kitchen scissors and trim the tips off the plant once it reaches 3-4 inches high. I always make sure I leave a main shoot to keep growing up to give the plant height.
Trim pea shoots at any point as the plant grows. Once pea pods grow, pinch them off above the stem with your finger tips or cut them off with scissors. Try to leave the pea stem on the top and the pea and it will keep for longer in your refrigerator.
Pick sugar snap peas when you can feel the peas form inside the pods.
Pick snow peas when the peas are large and flat and before the peas inside have started to grow larger. This will give you the sweetest tasting pea. If you leave snow peas too long before picking the shells can become tough and woody.
Picks peas regularly to keep them producing more pods. As you pick the peas, the plant will grow more flowers and produce more peas. Peas will keep growing for around 4 weeks once the plant starts flowering.
Growing peas in pots
Peas grow easily in pots or grow bags. Choose a 15 gallon grow bag and fill it with good quality potting mix. You can then plant 10-15 peas in this bag and top off with a tomato cage. The peas will grow up and grab onto the tomato cage as they grow.
Pea care
Watering Peas
Keep peas well-watered so they grow quickly and add on lots of leaves and stem growth. It will be easier to keep moisture in the soil over the cooler months if you top it with good quality mulch like hay, straw, or sugar cane mulch.
Mulching peas
Surround peas with a layer of sugar cane mulch, hay, straw or lucerne. Make sure that the peas are 3-4 inches tall before surrounding with mulch so you do not accidentally cover the shoot and block the light.
Prevent plant disease
The best way to keep your plants healthy and prevent powdery mildew is to water at the base of the pea plant. Keeping water off of the leaves is the best way to prevent powdery mildew forming.
Mulch underneath the pea plant to prevent the soil and water from splashing up on the pea stems and leaves. Watering in the morning is also a good option as you will give the plant time to dry out throughout the day.
How to weed peas
Keep weeds away form peas as they grow so that they don’t steal nutrients from your pea plant. The best way is to carefully remove the weeds with your hands so you don’t accidentally pull out any pea plants or disturb the roots.
To prevent weeds lay a 2-3 inch thick layer of mulch to cover the soil and prevent weed seeds from getting light and growing.
Growing peas – Summary
Peas are a great beginner crop because they have large seeds and will grow easily. They will quickly become your favorite winter crop and are a good way to get kids involved in gardening.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.
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