Pea Growing Masterclass: Grow the Sweetest Peas Ever (Guaranteed!)

I’ve been growing peas in my garden for more than 20 years. Over that time I’ve figured out exactly what works, so I’m going to share my step-by-step guide to successfuilly growing sweet, delicious peas from sowing right through to harvest.

We’ll cover the best varieties and tips for speedy growth. And if you’ve had trouble growing them in the past, don’t worry, peas are really simple with these techniques…

Types of Peas

Early peas are particularly quick-cropping, and when sown at the start of spring they’ll give a crop from early summer. Most early peas are lower-growing – to no more than waist height – which makes them a great choice for small or container gardens.

Taller climbing peas on the other hand, also known as maincrop peas, are more vigorous than early types. They crop for longer and reach up to about 6ft (1.8m) tall, so good supports are a must to help them reach their full potential (more about that below).

Both types of pea can be further divided into three more categories. We’ve got our standard peas for shelling – we need to bust open the pod to pick out the little treasures lying within. Shelling peas is one of those iconic summer moments and the reward for all your efforts is the sweetest, most flavorful peas you’ll ever taste. Nothing beats the joy of snaffling a few pea pods from the vine and gobbling them up there and then. It’s the gardener’s privilege – we deserve it!

Then there are varieties with edible pods. Snap peas, or sugar snaps, have that same sweet flavor as shelling peas but you can eat the whole thing. Those rounded pods with their sweet little fat peas inside are irresistibly crisp and juicy – a real taste sensation!

The third main type of pea is the flat-podded mange tout or snow peas. These don’t contain much in the way of peas and you need to pick them promptly before the pods become stringy, but they’re perfect for stir-frying whole or finely slicing to enjoy in salads.

You can eat the pods of shelling peas too by the way – it’s just that they’re a little rough and stringy. Try cooking and pureeing them for a delicious soup.

Sowing Peas Direct in the Soil

Peas grow best from sowings made in late winter through to late spring. It’s possible to sow in early summer too, but these later-sown plants are more prone to disease and often struggle in the hotter days of summer.

Once temperatures in spring reach about 50ºF (10ºC), you can sow directly into the soil. Peas will grow best in a sunny spot, but as they’re cool-season veggies that, as I said, don’t like it too hot, dappled shade might be better if you’re gardening in a hotter climate.

Peas fix much of the nitrogen they need to grow from the air in the soil by teaming up with bacteria. The bacteria form little nitrogen-rich nodules on the roots that the plant can tap into when needed to fuel its growth – clever stuff! But peas need more than just nitrogen to grow well and produce plenty of pods, so extra organic matter such as garden compost will always be welcome. Spread it on the soil surface to a depth of about an inch (3cm).

There are two common ways to sow peas direct. The first option is to make a shallow trench and sow across the bottom to give a band of seedlings. Sow in a zigzag pattern, leaving a couple of inches (around 5cm) between each seed, then cover them back over with soil.

Alternatively, make individual holes and sow into those. I like to sow a double row with about 8in (20cm) between them. You can push in supports between the two rows of seedlings once they’ve come up. Make a hole every 4in (10cm) within the row. and sow three seeds in each. The seedlings that push through won’t need thinning because there will be plenty of space between each cluster of seeds.

Sowing Peas in Plug Trays

Peas love the relative cool of spring and early summer, so this is one crop you won’t need to mollycoddle to get going, which makes it a solid choice for new gardeners. By mid-Spring it’s just fine to sow directly into the soil, so long as it isn’t too still wet or cold. But the earliest sowings made from late winter or early spring will get off to a more reliable start under cover. Not only will the extra warmth coax germination along, minimizing the risk of the seeds rotting, it will also protect both seeds and seedlings from rodents and pigeons, which are really hungry at that time of year.

Fill plug trays with potting mix then sow two to three seeds into each plug. Cover the seeds over, label, and water. Rodents like mice absolutely love pea seeds – who can blame them! – and they seem to sniff out the seeds with laser-like accuracy. So even under cover you’ll need to set up a secondary layer of defense.

Outfox them by placing sown trays into a lidded box. They can stay in here until the seedlings have pushed through and the pea seeds are less of a temptation.

Peas produce a relatively deep root system, so if you anticipate a delay to planting the seedlings – perhaps due to persistently claggy, wet soil at the start of the growing season – then sow into bigger, deeper plugs or into something like toilet roll centers to give them the space to stretch out their roots. These should keep them ticking over til conditions improve.

Keep the seedlings watered and in plenty of light, then transplant them into their final positions outside as soon as the soil is workable. Spacing the clusters of seedlings at the same distance as if you’d sown them – so at least 4in (10cm) apart within the row.

Supporting Peas

Most peas, even shorter types, need some sort of support. For dwarf varieties up to around 3ft 90cm) the classic pea-stick is your go-to. Push twiggy sticks into the soil, thick end first, to create a branchwork of supports for the peas’ tendrils to hook on to.

Another option is to use something like wire mesh or netting stretched between two sturdy uprights thrust into the ground at the end of each row.

Taller, climbing varieties may be trained up any sort of trellis; hemmed in between parallel lines of strong string, stretched horizontally between uprights; or even encouraged up teepees with extra string woven between each cane to create a sort of spider’s web of support.

Don’t wait too long after sowing or planting - get your supports in before plants get too big and start flopping over.

Pea Pitfalls to Look Out For

Peas aren’t terribly fussy, but as I said earlier, pigeons can be a real nuisance early in the season, so cover young seedlings or recent transplants with row cover or netting to keep beaks at bay until plants are a bit bigger. By the time they need supporting the birds should be a lot less interested in them.

Peas are lush, fleshy plants, and the tallest varieties have a huge amount of foliage to support, which means they need plenty of water. We don’t want our vines to go thirsty as this can cause leaves to yellow or wilt, making plants more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Good airflow can also help to avoid problems like powdery mildew. If you’re growing more than one double row of peas, position each double at least a few feet apart from the next, and a tad more for taller climbing varieties. This not only improves airflow but will make picking easier.

If you’re making a late spring sowing, I’d definitely seek out a variety described as ‘tolerating’ or ‘resistant to’ powdery mildew.

Use a hoe to scratch out weeds between the rows, then pull any weeds sneaking through within the rows themselves by hand.

Picking Pea Pods

The pea-picking window for each sowing is a lot narrower than for, say, beans, so we need to stay on the ball to make sure we enjoy every last pod. If you have space, make a couple of sowings to extend the season.

For shelling varieties there’s the option to pick on the younger side for smaller but sweeter peas – like petit pois. Or let the pods get a bit fatter and fuller for bigger peas, though these will be a little less sweet. Peas can also be left to fully mature for drying and storing dry, but pick a variety bred for this for the best results – often sold as ‘soup peas’.

Pick varieties with edible pods – snap peas and mange tout or snow peas – as soon as they’ve reached their expected size. Mange tout or snow peas especially can get a bit stringy if they aren’t picked promptly, so check and pick plants regularly – at least every few days. And inspect plants carefully so you don’t miss any pods.

If you find it tricky to spot green pods against green foliage, consider one of the varieties with purple or yellow pods. These often come with colorful flowers too, making these peas quite the head turners!

The most compelling reason to grow your own peas is the unrivalled sweetness that only comes from just-picked pods. So enjoy your peas as soon as possible after picking, before those lovely sugars in the peas start to turn starchy.

Freezing is a great way to capture the spirit of summer-picked peas. Pick and shell pods as quickly as you can then spread the peas out onto trays to freeze hard. Then, decant them into labeled freezer bags or sealed containers then get them back into the freezer.

My favorite ways to enjoy peas are as part of a lightly dressed early summer garden salad, as the singing centerpiece to a pea and mint soup, or paired with paneer cheese to serve up in a curry. Yummy! Let me know how you enjoy peas in the comments.

You’ll find lots of options for supporting peas and other climbing crops in our Garden Planner, helping you create a really professional-looking finish to all your garden plans. If you’ve not yet tried it, why not start your free 7 day trial right now?

Plants Related to this Article

Peas Grow Guide