When to Plant Peas

Sow peas outside 3 to 6 weeks before your last frost, and again 10 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.

Peas at a glance

Sow outside: 3 to 6 weeks before your last frost
Fall sowing: 10 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost
Time to harvest: 55 to 70 days from sowing
Harvest lasts: about 4 weeks
Spacing: 8 per square foot
Frost: Takes hard frosts

Growing peas

Sow peas as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, an inch deep, along whatever they will climb. Snow peas are picked flat, snap peas when the pods are round and crisp, and shelling peas when the pods are well filled but still bright green.

Dates by hardiness zone

Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.

When to plant peas in each USDA hardiness zone
Zone	Sow	Sow for fall	Harvest
Zone 3a	Apr 16 – May 7	Jun 22 – Jul 6	Jun 10 – Jul 16 · Aug 16 – Sep 14
Zone 3b	Apr 5–26	Jul 3–17	May 30 – Jul 5 · Aug 27 – Sep 25
Zone 4a	Mar 31 – Apr 21	Jul 6–20	May 25 – Jun 30 · Aug 30 – Sep 28
Zone 4b	Mar 27 – Apr 17	Jul 9–23	May 21 – Jun 26 · Sep 2 – Oct 1
Zone 5a	Mar 22 – Apr 12	Jul 13–27	May 16 – Jun 21 · Sep 6 – Oct 5
Zone 5b	Mar 20 – Apr 10	Jul 18 – Aug 1	May 14 – Jun 19 · Sep 11 – Oct 10
Zone 6a	Mar 18 – Apr 8	Jul 24 – Aug 7	May 12 – Jun 17 · Sep 17 – Oct 16
Zone 6b	Mar 12 – Apr 2	Jul 30 – Aug 13	May 6 – Jun 11 · Sep 23 – Oct 22
Zone 7a	Mar 5–26	Aug 2–16	Apr 29 – Jun 4 · Sep 26 – Oct 25
Zone 7b	Feb 22 – Mar 15	Aug 9–23	Apr 18 – May 24 · Oct 3 – Nov 1
Zone 8a	Feb 15 – Mar 8	Aug 15–29	Apr 11 – May 17 · Oct 9 – Nov 7
Zone 8b	Feb 3–24	Aug 21 – Sep 4	Mar 30 – May 5 · Oct 15 – Nov 13
Zone 9a	Jan 19 – Feb 9	Sep 3–17	Mar 15 – Apr 20 · Oct 28 – Nov 26
Zone 9b	Dec 21 – Jan 11	Sep 22 – Oct 6	Feb 14 – Mar 22 · Nov 16 – Dec 15
Zone 10a	Dec 13 – Jan 3	Oct 4–18	Feb 6 – Mar 14 · Nov 28 – Dec 27
Zones 10b–11b	Frost is rare here, so grow peas in the cooler months, from fall to early spring.

Good neighbors

Keep apart from

Questions about peas

Do peas need something to climb?

Most do. A fence, netting or twiggy branches give the tendrils something to grab and keep the pods clean. Dwarf varieties manage with little or no support.