Snow peas like it cold! Plant the seeds 4-6 weeks before your average last frost, or when the soil is consistently over 40F. (50-60F is better).
Snow peas are an annual crop with flat edible pods that are eaten before the seeds properly form. They are easy to grow and are a fabulous crop to grow with children as they provide a rapid and abundant harvest of tasty treats. You can eat them raw or lightly boiled, steamed, or stir-fried.
Sunset Magazine recommends sowing fall pea crops 12 weeks before the anticipated first frost. If you live in a climate with mild winters, you can plant snow peas at any time, even in winter. Planting peas too late in areas with hot spring temperatures may result in peas that don't fully mature due to the heat. Read our post about snow peas salad.
When to Plant Sugar Snap PeasPeas are one of the very first crops of spring; you can plant sugar snap peas as early as February in some locations, depending on whether the soil temperature has risen enough for the ground to have thawed and become workable. Previously: snap peas baked.
Avoid planting in direct sunlight; growing snow peas don't like all day direct sunshine. Further reading: snow peas with water chestnuts.
Climbing peas like Yates Telephone, Snow Peas and Climbing Sugarsnap will need a supporting trellis to climb on as they grow. Choose a wire panels or bamboo trellis as they allow air movement through the plants. Harvest once peas are plump. You may be picking every 2-3 days and this will also help promote more peas! Dig more about snow peas garden.
Some vegetables that grow well alongside peas are radishes, spinach, lettuce, and other early greens. Cucumbers and potatoes are also good companion plants for peas. But try to keep peas away from garlic or onions.
You can grow snow peas anywhere in the United States, even without garden space. The best snow peas for container growing are dwarf, or bush varieties. These little dynamos are bred with the container gardener in mind. Dwarf snow peas do not require trellising, unlike their larger vining cousins. Dig more about snow peas days to maturity.
In climates with true winters, it's fast enough to be grown as an annual, providing pods at about 60 days, but in the right setting, one that stays above freezing, it is a perennial.
Edible peas are a cool-season crop that are best planted in the early spring and again in the late summer. It is too late for the spring planting, but you're not out of luck for this growing season. The next opportunity to sow seeds will be in early August.
“Plant peas as soon as the ground can be worked” is a popular saying in the gardening world. Unfortunately, in my garden, that means mid- to late March! However, our fortunate southern friends can often start planting in January and February. Read about snow peas height.
In mild climates with long growing seasons, plant them outdoors between April and June. In very warm climates, plant cucumbers as early as February or March through July. Plant only after soil and air temperatures are predictably above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Further reading: snow peas fall planting.
Snow Pea plants will produce approximately 150 g (5.3 oz) per plant which equates to around 45 to 50 pods per plant. See more: snap peas do you eat the shell.
Snow, snap, and shelling peas are all members of the legume family. Some pea (Pisum sativum) seeds will look wrinkled. Most of them have hard coats, and all benefit from soaking before planting. Soak them overnight in warm water. See more: snow peas description.
Growing peas can be snap -- start with planting tips. My husband brought home a bag of sugar snap peas from the grocery store last week. Soaking the seeds overnight before planting should hasten their germination. Turn the soil before planting; work in some organic material if you can. See also: snow peas potassium.
Sweet peas rarely need watering more than once a week, but you need to maintain even moisture throughout the growing season. They do not like hot weather, so water them regularly in the summer, but do it early in the day to prevent buds from dropping, yielding and fewer flowers, and to prevent plants from scorching.
The whole pod is edible, although the tough strings along the edges are usually removed before eating. Snow peas are mildly flavored and can be served raw or cooked.
Peas grow best in soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5. Use well-rotted manure or compost at planting. Continuous use of high phosphorus fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 15-30-15, or high rates of manure or manure compost results in phosphorus buildup in the soil. See also: snow peas grow.