Green Peas Growing Guide

Snow Peas typically have flat, stringless, edible pods that contain small peas inside and can be eaten whole. Most snow peas have a bushy, compact growth habit and the pods can be eaten raw or cooked.

Snap peas have full size edible pods with large peas inside and can be harvested while immature and eaten whole or left on the vine and harvested only for the full sized plump peas inside. Snap peas are vining and use tendrils to climb.

Also known as Green Peas, Garden Peas or Sweet Peas, the inedible pods contain round seeds (peas) that are harvested and the fibrous pods are discarded. Sweet peas also have climbing tendrils and benefit from trellising.

When choosing a spot to grow peas, full sun is always recommended. Be careful not to over-plant your indeterminate pea plants and only trellis as high as you can pick because they can easily take over and become too difficult to manage and harvest. Using the HOSS Garden Seeder makes planting the right amount of peas much faster and easier.

Peas perform very well when planted on double rows. Plant two rows about 6″ apart, then skip over 4-6′ and plant another double row. This will allow you to maximize garden space and produce more vegetables per square foot of garden.

Peas tend to fall over because of their heavy pods so even on some smaller bush varieties, a small 2′-3′ trellis will help support them.

Row Spacing – 30 to 36 inches
Plant Spacing – 3 to 4 inches
Planting Depth – 1 inch

Raised Bed Planting

Row Spacing – 2 feet
Plant Spacing – 3 to 4 inches
Planting Depth – 1 inch

If you have never previously grown legumes in the spot you choose to grow peas, we recommend using our Garden Soil Inoculant during planting to boost nitrogen fixation in your soil and boost performance. The inoculant contains millions of live rhizobacteria that will maximize yield benefits by out-competing the indigenous rhizobia for root nodulation.

Pick peas before the pods become too large and eventually turn waxy. Be careful not to damage the peas or pods and be sure to inspect for any diseases or pests. If you see any compromised pods, be sure to discard them to avoid any issues while storing.

Depending on the variety of peas you are growing, harvesting is relatively simple. The only real variations are how often you pick the beans through the season and at what stage of maturity.

The main thing to remember about harvesting peas is that you should never let them get too large. They mature very quickly and need to be harvested often so that they don’t get too large and inedible.

Snow peas should be harvested when the delicate pods and you can see the immature seeds inside. Harvest snap peas when the pods become plump, yet are still glossy and the peas are still sweet.

Fresh peas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a perforated plastic bag. They need plenty of moisture and humidity so that they don’t dry out while in storage. Peas make an excellent candidate for freezing and will keep their sweet flavor even after blanched and frozen. If you do wait too long and your peas have gotten too large, don’t throw them out! While they may not taste as good cooked on their own, over mature peas make great additions to winter soups and are a great source of protein.