How to grow peas

Pea varieties

There are lots of different types of peas and numerous varieties. To produce crops all summer long, start by sowing an early variety, followed by a main crop.

• Early: Early Onward, Feltham First, Hurst Greenshaft, Little Marvel
• Main crop: Cavalier, Kelvedon Wonder, Onward
• Mangetout: Delikata, Oregon Sugar Pod
• Sugar snap: Sugar Ann, Sugar Snap

A word on pea pods

You might think the long narrow green pods that appear after the flowers on a pea plant are just there to hold the growing peas, but that’s not all they do. If you grow mangetout and sugar snap peas, you can eat the whole pod as well as the peas inside! Mangetout peas are best eaten while the peas inside the pod are still tiny, while sugar snap pea pods are eaten whole when the peas inside have developed. Both are generally easier to grow than podding peas and are definitely worth growing if you’ve had problems with podding peas in the past.

Mangetout and sugar snap peas are delicious eaten raw or very lightly steamed, adding sweetness and crunch to salads and stir fries. 

Cultivation of peas

Peas need a sunny position that is sheltered from strong winds, to ensure insects can pollinate the flowers.

Improve the soil with lots of garden compost to help keep the soil moist, but free draining. Peas, being legumes, prefer an alkaline to neutral soil (pH7 and greater); add lime to acidic soils in late winter.

Peas need plenty of soil moisture, especially at flowering and when the pods are filling, otherwise the crops are poor and the peas are small, dry and tasteless. To ensure they don’t go short of water, dig a trench approximately 30cm (12in) deep in autumn and fill it with moisture-holding material, such as garden compost, shredded newspaper and un-rotted garden or kitchen waste. Fill the trench with soil a fortnight before sowing or planting out.

When to sow peas

You can start sowing in March, providing the soil is warm enough. You can pre-warm it by covering with cloches or sheets of polythene 2-3 weeks before sowing. For an earlier start, you can sow the seeds indoors in small pots filled with potting compost.

The easiest way to sow is to dig out a flat-bottomed trench 5cm (2in) deep and 20-25cm (8-10in) wide. Lightly fork over the bottom of the trench, water the soil and then sow the seeds evenly, roughly 7.5cm (3in) apart, pressing them lightly into the soil. Fill the trench with soil and lightly firm down. Sow at fortnightly intervals to give a succession of crops throughout summer. By growing different varieties and sowing at different times of year, you can pick fresh peas from June until October.

Choosing your spot and which peas to grow

Your peas are going to need a sunny, moisture-retaining and nutrient-rich position and you will need to support taller varieties so make sure there is plenty of room for that.

As with most grow your owns, there’s a choice of variety from early-maturing to super sweetness, so take a little time to choose which ones will suit you best. Before you are ready to sow, make sure your dig and prepare the ground, adding plenty of compost or well-rotted manure well in advance.

If you are planting straight into the ground, do so in spring (March to June) making sure the soil is warm and the seedlings are well protected from cold and frost. Your seeds will rot if you plant into cold soil.

Sowing peas

You can start sowing in March, providing the soil is warm enough. You can pre-warm it by covering with cloches or sheets of polythene 2-3 weeks before sowing.

For an earlier start, you can sow the seeds indoors in small pots or modules filled with potting compost.

The easiest way to sow is to dig out a flat-bottomed trench 5cm (2in) deep and 20-25cm (8-10in) wide. Lightly fork over the bottom of the trench, water the soil and then sow the seeds evenly, roughly 7.5cm (3in) apart, pressing them lightly into the soil. Fill the trench with soil and lightly firm down.

Sow at fortnightly intervals to give a succession of crops throughout summer.

By growing different varieties and sowing at different times of year, you can pick fresh peas from June until October.

When to plant out peas

Plant out pea seedlings in March and April, once the soil temperature is above 10°C (50°F) and the plants are around 20cm tall. Space the seedlings 7.5cm apart, with 30cm between rows.  

Warm the soil for 2-3 weeks before planting by covering it with fleece or plastic sheeting. Cover the newly planted seedlings with fleece or cloches to protect against frosts.

Pea plants take 3-4 months to mature, so if you are planting out batches in stages for a long harvest period, allow space in the bed and on the support framework for later planting. 

How to support growing peas

As they grow, pea plants need supports to climb up and will cling to wires or netting with their tendrils. Put supports in place at the same time as you’re sowing seeds outdoors or as soon as the young seedlings appear.

Dwarf peas only need light support. Insert twiggy branches alongside the plants or between rows of seedlings when they’re 7.5-10cm (3-4") high.

Taller pea plants can be supported on netting supported by stout canes. Use pea or bean netting with a large mesh that makes it easier to disentangle the plants at the end of the season. Alternatively, use chicken wire fixed to bamboo canes, so that the faded plants can be cut off without damaging the wire. Pea netting or chicken wire can also be fixed to a fence to provide supports for plants to scramble up.

Lightweight wooden trellis or willow panels make attractive supports, especially when growing peas as an ornamental feature. For vegetable gardens with limited space, create a wigwam using long twiggy branches and place two pea plants on either side of each leg of the wigwam.

Make sure all posts or canes are solidly fixed in the ground, so that they can support the weight of the mature pea plants.

How to care for peas

Water well during dry periods, especially during flowering and pod set, giving the soil a good soaking once or twice a week. Mulch the soil around the plants to preserve soil moisture. You can also feed weekly with a high potassium liquid feed (such as a tomato feed) to promote bigger crops.

Apart from dwarf varieties, peas need supports for the plants to grow up. Insert twiggy branches alongside the plants when they’re 7.5-10cm (3-4") high. Pea netting supported by stout canes is another option, but it’s very difficult to untangle the plants at the end of the growing season. Chicken wire is a better option. Lightweight wooden trellis or willow panels are attractive alternatives, especially when growing peas as an ornamental feature.

When to harvest peas

As they start to mature, keep an eye on your peas as the earlier they are picked the sweeter they’ll be. Don’t rest on your laurels though, harvest regularly to encourage your plants to keep on producing.

Start from the bottom of the plant where the peas mature first and work your way up. Although you can freeze your peas, they really are at their tastiest eaten straightaway.

A few facts about peas

• Round, smoother pea seeds are hardier than wrinkled ones, which tend to be better for sweetness.
• They’ve been around a long, long time! So long in fact that peas were discovered in Egyptian tombs.
• The pea plant tendrils are edible.
• One serving of peas contains as much vitamin C as two large apples and more fibre than a slice of wholemeal bread.

Common pest and disease problems with peas

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that appears as a white mildew on pea plants, stunting growth and causing leaves to shrivel. Drought-stressed plants are more susceptible to this disease.

• Dig organic material into the soil before planting to improve soil water retention
• Space plants when planting to ensure good air circulation
• Remove any affected growth promptly
• Water regularly in dry periods

Pea Moth

Pea moths lay their eggs on pea flowers. The larvae live in the pods, feeding on the developing peas. Caterpillars can be seen inside pods when shelled.

• Grow crops under insect-proof mesh
• Early spring and early summer sowings are less affected

Mice

Mice will dig up and eat peas sown in the ground.

• Cover the ground with a thick layer of prickly holly leaves
• Start seeds off in pots out of reach of mice and plant them out as seedlings

Pigeons

Pigeons can strip the leaves off pea plants, leaving them bare.

• Grow plants under netting

Key features of peas