🫛 Garden Pea
Pisum sativum
vegetables
legume
☀️ Sun
Full sun (6, 8 hours); tolerates partial shade
💧 Water
Medium; 1 inch per week; consistent moisture crucial during flowering and pod fill; mulch to keep roots cool
🗺️ Zones
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
🧪 Soil pH
6.0, 7.5 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline)
🪴 Soil Type
Well-drained, moisture-retentive loam with good organic matter; less fussy than beans about fertility
🚿 Drainage
Well-drained but moisture-retentive; does NOT tolerate waterlogged soil
📏 Spacing
Seeds 1, 2 inches apart in rows 18, 24 inches apart; thin to 2, 3 inches; provide trellis for climbing varieties (3, 6 ft)
⏱️ Maturity
55-70 days (from seed); snap peas 55-65, shelling peas 60-70 days
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ Seeds (fresh shelling peas)
🍽️ Pods (snow peas, snap peas , whole pod eaten)
🍽️ Young shoots/tendrils (pea shoots , gourmet salad green)
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (8)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
Repels pea moth and aphids; improves pea flavor (plant mint in containers to control spread)
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
Radishes break soil crust for emerging pea seedlings; harvested before peas need full space; repels cucumber beetles
Peas provide partial shade for spinach (delaying bolting in warm weather); spinach acts as living mulch; different root zones
⚠️ Keep Apart (2)
⚠️ Alliums (onion, garlic, shallot)
Inhibit nitrogen-fixing bacteria; stunt pea growth; one of the strongest antagonisms documented in companion planting
Gladiolus may harbor thrips that damage pea flowers and pods
💊 Medicinal Uses
Medicinal Properties
- Good source of plant protein with a complete amino acid profile for a legume
- High in fiber, vitamins C, K, and B vitamins (especially folate)
- Contains lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health
- Traditional Chinese medicine: pea sprouts used as a cooling, detoxifying food
📝 Growing Notes
Peas are a cool-season crop , plant 4, 6 weeks before last frost. They stop producing when temperatures exceed 75°F. Inoculate seeds with Rhizobium for best nitrogen fixation. Snow peas and snap peas are the same species , just different cultivars with edible pods. Pea shoots (young tendrils) are a high-value crop for market gardeners.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
Plot Buddies is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our plant recommendations. We only link to retailers we trust.