How to Plant Peas in the Garden

Here’s a primer on how to plant peas in the garden.

fresh peas
Who doesn’t love fresh garden peas!

Fresh garden peas are one of our favorite garden vegetables.  It might be because they’re so easy to grow or because they’re one of the first veggies to ripen but more than likely it’s because of  the incredible sweet flavor of those perfect little green pearls.

We’ve grown regular shelling peas, sugar snap peas and snow peas. We love regular shelling peas the best.  When they’re young and fresh, we eat the whole pod. When they’re bigger, we shell them and  freeze a few for the winter – if there are any left!bowl of peas w

How to Plant Peas

Peas are one of the easiest veggies to grow.  Pea seeds are basically dried peas so they’re easy to identify and are quite large – perfect for little fingers.

Peas are an easy and fairly quick vegetable to grow. The big seed is perfect for little fingers.

When to Seed Peas

Peas are a cold weather crop that you can plant as soon as the soil is workable in the spring.  They’ll germinate and pop out of the soil when the air and soil temperature has reached their preferred range of 45 to 65°F or 7 to 18°C.  If you delay seeding beyond these temps, you’ll have poor germination results.  In fact, once summer temperatures arrive, pea plants will stop producing –  so it’s good to get them planted early so you can harvest buckets full of peas before that happens.

Here in my Winnipeg, prairie garden – Zone 3b, I usually plant between April 24 and May 15. It varies from year to year depending on soil conditions, moisture, frost and air temperature. During this time frame, I watch the weather forecast and try to get the peas in before a rain.

Water Consistently to Get Started

Seeds, whether peas or any other seed, require moisture to germinate.  That’s why consistent watering during the first couple of weeks is critical.  So make sure you take a watering can with you or plant right before a rain shower.

watering pea seeds
Watering is critical during the first few weeks. Be sure to water the seed bed.

Soak Peas

To give peas sufficient water to germinate, soak pea seeds in a bowl of water the night before planting.

soaked peas
Give your peas a head start by letting them soak 6-12 hours before seeding.

 

Once you’re at the garden…

  • Use a hoe or edge of a garden rake to make a trench about 1 inch or 3-4 cm deep.
  • Place pea seeds in the trench about 2 inches or 3 cm apart.
seeds in ground
I space seeds 2-3 inches apart when seeding, knowing some are not going to germinate or get destroyed by cutworms. In the end, they should be 4 inches apart. Also notice the trellis is already up.
  • When the plants actually grow, the ideal space between them is about 4 inches or 8 to 10 cm. But chances are poor germination or garden pests (squirrels or cutworms) will prevent all of them from coming up.  So it’s better to over-seed at this stage and thin out any extras later.
cutworms and peas
Because peas are one of the first greens in the garden, they are in danger of being cut down by cutworms. That’s why I always seed a few extra.
  • If planting multiple rows, space them about 1 to 1 1/2 feet or 30 to 45 cm apart.
  • Cover the row with soil.
  • Water the pea rows evenly and consistently until plants are about 2 inches or 5 cm high.

Use a Trellis

Your seed package may not tell you this, but peas will produce more and will be easier to pick if you provide some sort of trellis or support for them to grow up on.  Even low growing bush peas will do better with a little support.  I’ve grown plenty of peas without support – but every time I use a support system I’m glad I did.  The peas are definitely easier to find and pick when they’re off the ground.

There are tons of ways to build a trellis for peas.  We stick to the very simple chicken wire held up by sticks technique.  It’s not the prettiest method, but it works and takes no time to put up and take down.

supporting trellis for garden peas

If possible, put up your support system the same day as your planting your peas.  It doesn’t take long for pea seeds to germinate and they’ll want to start climbing right away.  Their stems can be delicate and you risk breaking them if you try to support them once they’re out of the ground and growing.

Can’t wait for that first pea.

Happy gardening!

Here are some other How To’s to get your garden going this season:

How to Plant Leeks

How to Plant Onions

How to Plant Beets

How to Plant Tomatoes

How to Plant Corn

How to Plant Carrots

How to Plant Garlic

Top 5 Herbs for Your Garden

Grow Your Own Seasoning Blend

Grow Your Own Herbal Teas

When to Plant Different Vegetables

Need help planning or getting your vegetable garden going? Get Getty to help you figure things out. Getty Stewart is a freelance Professional Home Economist, author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, mom and avid veggie gardener. She loves growing food and has been doing so forever. Need a workshop or a little one-on-one, Get Getty!

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