How To Grow Peas At Home

Growing peas in your home garden is an easy way to enjoy fresh produce earlier than most other vegetables.

However, to enjoy thriving, productive plants, it’s important to first learn how to care for them correctly.

This detailed guide to growing peas is a walkthrough for gardeners of all skill levels. Learn their sun, soil, and water requirements, plus get tips on pests, harvesting, and much more.

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Peas (Pisum sativum) are the edible seeds of a type of vegetable plant that produces a pod. They’re legumes that are native to the Middle East, and are now grown worldwide.

They’re cold-hardy annuals, and the size of the plants can range anywhere between 1’ tall bushes to 9’ long vines.

Pea plants produce small white, pink, or purple flowers that form pods when pollinated. They’re an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance crop that will continue to produce until the summer heat kicks in.

There are 3 main types of Pisum sativum: shelling, snow, and snap peas. Within each of these types there are also two different growth habits – bush and vining.

Bush hybrids are compact and ideal for small spaces or containers. Vining plants climb and require the support of a trellis as they grow.

Individual pea pods grow from self-pollinating flowers that typically start opening about 4-6 weeks into their life cycle.

Insects, wind, or even a gentle sweep of your finger will pollinate the flowers. After successful pollination, a pod will begin to develop, and it takes only about three weeks until they’re ready to harvest.

The plant will continue blooming, even as it sets pods. Pick the mature ones regularly to encourage the plant to continue producing more.

The first step in growing peas is choosing the best place and time to plant them. My tips