Pea Growing Guide: from seed to kitchen

The essential guide to growing pea from seed; with notes on germination, cultivation, harvest and even kitchen uses.

Shelling/“garden” peas – green pearls you pop from fibrous pods; blanch briefly for risottos, purées and freezer stash.
Snap peas – thick, juicy pods eaten whole when peas have filled out; perfect raw with dip, in stir-fries or lightly steamed.
Snow peas – flat, sweet pods harvested before seeds swell; add crunch to salads and wok dishes.
Leafless/“afila” tendril peas – masses of edible tendrils and pods on self-supporting vines; young shoots are a gourmet garnish.

Seeds per gram: 3 – 5 seed

Germination Temperature: 15 – 20 °C; germination 7 – 21 days (can take 4 weeks in cool ground).

Peas fix their own nitrogen – avoid manure or high-N fertiliser.
If very 'hungry' ground dig in aged compost from a previous crop, ensuring friable, well-drained loam.
Aim for pH 6.5 – 7.5; add garden lime in acid soils two months beforehand.

Sow direct 10 20 mm deep.
Rows 40–60 cm apart; plants 7–10 cm apart.
For an earlier crop seed can be soaked indoors for 1-2 days before sowing into prepared ground.
For tall varieties erect trellis or mesh at sowing.

Temperate & cooler regions:
- Early autumn (March) for frost-free areas – harvest late winter.
- Late autumn/early winter (April–June) in cold districts for spring crop.
- Late winter (July) sowing gives a heavy, mildew-free spring harvest.
- High summer sowings seldom thrive – heat reduces set and flavour.
Warmer regions:
- Sow through coolest months. Pea do not like too much heat and humidity.

Keep the top 5 cm of soil evenly moist; water at ground level to discourage mildew.
Mulch once vines reach 15 cm tall.
Where spring warmth brings powdery mildew, pull plants promptly and follow with a new crop.
Peas thrive on lean soil; only apply a low-rate balanced organic fertiliser if growth is pale.

Climbing Varieties: string, netting or bamboo teepees 1.5–2 m high.
Bush Varietiess: short mesh or allow to sprawl; closer spacing forms a self-supporting mound.

Slow or patchy germination: soil too cold or wet – pre-sprout seed or delay sowing. Rats and mice are know to dig up pea and bean seed in cooler weather foraging for food.
Powdery mildew: plentiful airflow, drip watering, remove oldest vines as soon as production wanes.
Root rot (water-logging): plant in raised beds or ridges.
Pea weevil / pea beetle: sow early and harvest promptly; solarise or deep-bury residues.
Birds stealing seedlings: cover rows with light netting until plants reach 15 cm.

Snow peas: pick flat pods just as seeds start to show.
Snap peas: harvest when pods are plump yet still glossy.
Shelling peas: pick when pods feel full but before peas harden – taste for sweetness; morning harvest keeps sugars highest.
Continuous picking every 1–2 days extends yields.
Cool quickly; store pods at 2 – 4 °C in a perforated bag for up to a week.
Shelling peas freeze well after a 90-second blanch.

Sow into cool, moist soil, keep vines picked, and you’ll enjoy crisp snow peas, sugary snaps and sweet green pearls long before summer heat sets in.