When to Plant Cowpeas (Southern Peas)

Cowpeas (southern peas) are a tender warm-season vegetable. Frost damages them, so they go out only after the last spring frost.

Sow them outdoors 2 to 5 weeks after the last spring frost. The first harvest comes about 60 to 80 days after sowing.

Example dates

The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.

Cowpeas (Southern Peas): dates by last spring and first fall frost
TaskLast frost Mar 15first Nov 15Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25Last frost May 15first Sep 30
Sow outdoorsMar 29 – Apr 19Apr 29 – May 20May 29 – Jun 19
HarvestMay 28 – Jun 25Jun 28 – Jul 26Jul 28 – Aug 25

Growing cowpeas (southern peas)

Southern peas thrive in heat; pick green-shell pods when the seeds are plump or leave them to dry.

  • Spacing: 4 in apart, in rows 30 in apart. In a raised bed, 9 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
  • Days to harvest: 60 to 80 from sowing, then about 4 weeks of picking.
  • Rotation: cowpeas (southern peas) are in the bean family. Plant them where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.

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Questions

Can cowpeas (southern peas) go in before the last frost?

No. Cowpeas (southern peas) are damaged by frost: sow them 2 to 5 weeks after the last spring frost.

How long do cowpeas (southern peas) take to grow?

About 60 to 80 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 4 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.

More planting dates

Sources

  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
  2. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
  3. University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
  4. NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
  5. WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
  6. Iowa State: All About Beans