Peas are cool-season, frost-hardy plants well-suited to winter and spring vegetable gardens in Sonoma County. Traditional shelling or garden peas develop tough pods with well-developed peas; snap peas are similar with edible pods; sugar or snow peas remain flat with very small peas inside tender edible pods.
Planting and Growing
- Prepare soil in late summer with compost added to improve drainage and increase organic matter. Add a balanced fertilizer following package directions.
- Sow seeds directly in beds 1-2 in. deep, 2 in. apart August-October for harvest in 2-3 months. Sow again January-April for a spring crop.
- Where birds or snails threaten young shoots or if beds are soggy from winter rains, start peas indoors; handle transplants carefully to avoid damaging fragile roots. Seeds rot in cold, wet soil.
- Provide sturdy support for vining or pole types. A row of fencing or mesh netting between posts allows stems to expand both sidewise and vertically. Winding tendrils often require the gardener’s assistance in getting started climbing.
- Plant bush types in rows 2 in. apart with low supports to prevent stems from becoming tangled and complicating harvest. Intersperse plants with multi-branched, leafless twigs 1-2 ft. in length or other cage-like support.
- Peas will produce as long as plants are healthy and the weather stays cool.
Harvest
- Pick shelling peas when pods swell, feel firm, and you can feel the peas inside. When harvest is delayed, peas enlarge and become tough and starchy.
- Pick snap peas when pods are filled but still small. Overly mature pods become stringy and tough and peas become starchy, losing their sweetness.
- Pick snow peas when you can barely discern the peas inside.
- Harvest all peas every couple of days to encourage continuous production.
Additional Information
- Vegetable Planting Summary
- Food Gardening with Less Water
- Cultural Tips for Growing Peas (UC IPM)
- Pest and Diseases of Peas (UC IPM)
February 2022