When to Plant Peas
Peas are a hardy cool-season vegetable. They can take a hard frost.
Sow them outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. For a fall crop, sow 9 to 12 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 55 to 70 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.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 3 – May 1 |
| Harvest | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Apr 28 – May 19 | May 28 – Jun 18 |
| Fall: Sow outdoors | Aug 23 – Sep 13 | Aug 2 – 23 | Jul 8 – 29 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 17 – Nov 7 | Sep 26 – Oct 17 | Sep 1 – 22 |
Growing peas
Sow as soon as the soil can be worked and give tall types netting to climb; peas fade once days turn hot.
- Spacing: 2 in apart, in rows 24 in apart. In a raised bed, 8 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 55 to 70 from sowing, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: peas are in the bean family. Plant them where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: bush bean, carrot, cilantro, cucumber, nasturtium, pole bean, radish, rosemary, sage, sweet corn, turnip. See companion plants for peas.
- Usually kept apart from: chives, garlic, green onion, leek, onion (bulb), potato, shallot.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant peas and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can peas go in before the last frost?
Yes. Peas are hardy: sow them 2 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long do peas take to grow?
About 55 to 70 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow peas in fall?
Yes. Sow 9 to 12 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times (chart, central Iowa)
- Iowa State: Growing Peas in Iowa
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden