Growing sugar snap peas in the home garden is relatively easy if you take a few simple steps to prepare the garden beds and give peas plenty of cool weather days to grow and flourish.

I never grew peas before I moved to Virginia. I used to help my next door neighbor, Mr. Hoffman, plant and grow his peas, however. He taught me the old saying, “Plant Peas on St. Patrick’s Day.” Here in Virginia, the old timers tell me that it’s “Plant Peas on President’s Day.” That probably helps back up the timetable enough so that sugar snap peas get plenty of cool days and not so much heat, which they despise.

How to Grow Fresh Garden Peas

Plant Peas in Early Spring

To grow sugar snap peas, you need cool weather, period. Warmth doesn’t cut it with them. They are indeed fussy about this, and if you plant them too late in the season, they’ll sulk. If they do grow, they won’t produce flowers. Mostly they’ll just develop for a few inches and then stop, as if contemplating the weather.

Now if you plant them early enough in the season, enjoy the ride, because they seem to grow an inch a day! Once the peas germinate, the seedlings emerge and develop several sets of leaves quickly.

Pea Vines Need Support

Peas are climbing plants, and produce little tendrils which seek structures upon which to climb. In my own garden, I drive stakes into the ends of the raised garden beds. I then tie jute twine around the stakes low enough to the ground so that the little pea plants don’t have to reach very far to find support. Hey, we all need support, right?

Easy pea vine support ideas:

• Squash netting: Garden centers sell special fiber-based nets. You can drive stakes into the ground and string the net between them. The pea vines may be difficult to remove from the net (fyi)
• Stakes and twine: Drive two or more stakes into the ground. Use jute twine ties between the stakes at four inch intervals to provide support.
• Tomato cages: Folding tomato cages also make adequate pea vine supports.

Water Requirements of Pea

Peas need at least one inch of water per week. If they do not receive adequate rainfall, you must water them.

Once the peas have emerged, give them plenty of water without keeping them soaking wet. Do not hoe or disturb the soil near the roots; pea roots are fragile. Just leave them alone, and let nature do her thing.

Harvesting Peas – When Are They Ready?

It can be challenging to judge when peas are ready to harvest. I like to feel the pods. You can easily feel and see the individual peas through the skin of the pods. Twist them off the vine.

When the pea pods develop, keep harvesting them to encourage the plants to produce more. Pea pods are at their crispiest in the morning, just after the dew dries, so try to time your harvest then. And yes, raw peas are delicious – open the pods and snack on the peas raw. Yum! Or you can cook them and even can them according to the directions on your pressure canning equipment. They can also be dried for future use.

A Primer on How to Grow Sugar Snap Peas

• Prepare the garden beds in the fall before the spring when you want to plant peas. Add manure or compost only – avoid commercial fertilizers. Peas really don’t need them!
• Plant the seeds as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. In Virginia, that’s between President’s Day (late February) and St. Patrick’s Day (mid March). Anything later is too late.
• Do not add fertilizer. Peas add nitrogen to the soil and don’t let extra nitrogen.
• Plant pea seeds 1-2 inches deep in the soil. If rainwater washes them back up, use a stick to poke them back in.
• Peas grow best when temps are under 70 degrees F.
• Provide trellis, stakes or supports for pea vines.
• Pick pea pods in the morning after the dew dries.
• To pick pea pods, hold the pea vine with one hand and pick with the other to prevent ripping out the vines.
• Don’t hoe, till or otherwise disturb the roots.
• Store peas in the fridge for up to five days.
• Dry or freeze extras.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends the following pea varieties for Virginia gardens:

• Sugar Snow (snap; wilt resistant) – this is what I planted
• Knight (heat tolerant)
• Wando
• Green Arrow

If you haven’t planted peas this year, bookmark this page and come on back. Peas are fun to plant, delicious when eaten straight from the garden, and a great vegetable for the whole family. And they are also great in salads and recipes: Fresh Pea Salad.