Plant garden peas by sowing seed as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, once it is about 40°F to 45°F and no longer sticks to the tools. Set the seed 1 to 1½ inches deep, and do not wait until the bed is already hot.
Sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Sow as soon as the soil can be worked, about 40°F to 45°F, and dry enough that it does not stick to the tools | Sowing after the ground is already hot |
| Seed | Whole garden seed. Use a pea inoculant if the bed has never grown peas | Planting frozen grocery peas or cooked peas |
| Depth | Set seed 1 to 1½ inches deep. Stay closer to 1 inch in cool, wet soil; go a little deeper if the soil is dry | Burying seed so deep it sits in cold, wet ground |
| Spacing | Sow about 1 to 2 inches apart, with about 18 to 24 inches between rows, or a double row with a trellis in the middle | A tight knot with no air around the stems |
Sow garden pea while the soil is still cool. Seedlings take a light frost, and an early stand lets the plants fill pods before midsummer heat. [1] Sun and watering after the stand is up are on How to Grow Peas.
When do I plant peas?
As soon as the soil can be worked in spring, about 40°F to 45°F, and dry enough that it does not stick to the tools.
How to plant peas
Sow whole garden seed directly in the bed. If the site has never grown peas, dust the seed with a pea inoculant. The bacteria used on chickpeas will not do this job. [2] Set the seed 1 to 1½ inches deep and keep the row moist until the seedlings show. Put the trellis in the same day so you do not tear roots later.
- Wait until the soil can be worked in early spring, about 40°F to 45°F, and is dry enough that it does not stick to the tools. Seedlings take a light frost. [3]
- Use whole garden seed. If the bed is new to peas, coat the seed with a pea inoculant.
- Set seed 1 to 1½ inches deep. Stay closer to 1 inch in cool, wet soil; go a little deeper if the soil is dry. [4]
- Sow about 1 to 2 inches apart, with about 18 to 24 inches between rows. For climbing kinds, sow a double row with the trellis between them.
- Set netting, twine, or pea brush the same day. Water once to settle. Keep the row moist until the seedlings crack the surface, then follow How to Grow Peas.
How deep do I plant pea seed?
One to 1½ inches. Stay shallower in cool, wet soil, and a little deeper if the soil is dry.
What fails at planting
Frozen grocery peas and cooked peas will not grow. Cracked seed often rots in cold, wet ground, so handle the packet gently. Late sowing into hot soil is the usual reason flowers open in a heat wave and drop. A chickpea inoculant is the wrong strain. Do not drop a heavy nitrogen fertilizer in the furrow with the seed. Do not yank a seedling from a cell; the roots stall if they are torn.
Can I plant grocery peas?
No. Frozen and cooked peas are dead. Buy whole garden seed sold for planting.
If the soil is already hot, wait until next early spring. Sow garden seed at 1 to 1½ inches, put the trellis in the same day, and use a pea inoculant on a new bed.
FAQ
Can I start peas indoors?
The usual crop is sown in the bed. The roots dislike being moved, so a transplant that is yanked from a cell often stalls. If you start seed early, use a pot you can plant whole.
Do I need an inoculant?
If the bed has never grown peas, a pea inoculant helps the roots fix nitrogen. A chickpea inoculant is the wrong strain.
Can I plant a fall crop?
In a place with a long, cool fall you can sow again in late summer so the pods fill before a hard frost. In a hot late summer the seed often sits and the vines stall, so spring is the surer crop.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Clemson Cooperative Extension -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/garden-peas/ - [2] Iowa State University Extension -
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-peas-iowa - [3] Cornell University Home Gardening -
http://gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene9697.html - [4] University of Illinois Extension -
https://extension.illinois.edu/gardening/peas
This note is part of Pisum Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors