Back to growing guides 
VegetablesHardyAnnual
Pea
Pea is a cool-season legume grown for sweet shelling peas, edible pods or tender shoots, depending on type. It is one of the earliest productive crops in the vegetable garden and is especially useful where vertical growing can make efficient use of space.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
8 companions · 5 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
70 days
Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
10–18 °C
Plant spacing
10 cm
Row spacing
45 cm
Sowing depth
5 cm
Height
180 cm
Spread
10 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Sow peas into cool moist soil and provide support early, even for shorter varieties, so stems stay upright and easy to pick. Keep plants watered during flowering and pod fill, and harvest frequently because regular picking helps plants continue cropping.
Common pests
Pea moth, mice, powdery mildew, slugs.
