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The Daily Insight

Can I grow sugar snap peas

Author

Victoria Simmons

Published Mar 05, 2026

Planting. In the spring, plant sugar snap peas as soon as you can prepare the soil. Sugar snap peas are a cool-season vegetable and can tolerate light frosts even when the plants are small. In the fall, plant sugar snap peas in the last 8 to 10 weeks before the first expected frost to guarantee a plentiful harvest.

Can you plant sugar snap peas?

When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas Peas are one of the very first crops of spring; you can plant sugar snap peas as early as February in some locations, depending on whether the soil temperature has risen enough for the ground to have thawed and become workable.

Can you grow sugar snap peas without a trellis?

Green peas don’t need a trellis, but pods will be easier to pick when vines are held upright. If you’re using a trellis, insert it prior to planting. Use netting, stakes, and string, a wood frame trellis covered with chicken wire, metal fencing, or a collection of twiggy branches stuck into the ground among the plants.

Are sugar snap peas hard to grow?

Sugar snap peas, Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon, are an easy-to-grow, cool weather crop. Insects and diseases don’t usually bother them. If you live in a cool climate, plant the seeds directly into the garden in a well-drained spot that gets full sun for most of the day.

Can you grow sugar snap peas in summer?

Growing Sugar Snap Peas in Summer Grow them indoors on a windowsill as long as the outdoor temperature is above 70 F, or sow them outdoors as temperatures begin to cool. … Space the pea seeds about one inch apart. Water well and keep the soil moist. Harvest the shoots when they have at least two sets of leaves.

When can I plant snap peas outside?

The best time to plant peas is as soon as the ground is thawed and can be worked in late winter or early spring. Peas can also be a fall crop in many areas. They can be planted in the late summer or early fall, especially in areas where spring warms too quickly for good pea production.

What can I plant with sugar snap peas?

Companion Planting with Sugar Snap Peas Some vegetables that grow well alongside peas are radishes, spinach, lettuce, and other early greens. Cucumbers and potatoes are also good companion plants for peas. But try to keep peas away from garlic or onions.

How do you germinate sugar snap peas?

  1. Drop your peas in a bowl of water to get them wet.
  2. Dampen a full sheet of paper towel. Put your peas in the middle of the paper towel and wrap up, like a envelope.
  3. Put the peas in a plastic bag or covered container. Check on the peas daily. …
  4. The peas will take a few days to sprout.

How many snap peas will one plant produce?

A single Pea plant will produce between 2 to 4 oz (57 to 114 grams) of Peas according to Clive Blazey’s book, The Australian Vegetable Garden. This equates to around 30 pods per plant. This means that between 20 to 30 plants should be planted per person at least.

Are sugar snap peas bush or vine?

Sugar Daddy snap peas are a hardy cool-season crop. They aren’t picky about maintenance and, since they are bush-type vines, they can grow with a small trellis or without one.

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Do you need to stake peas?

Sugar snap pea flowers on a young climbing variety. Peas need staking or a trellis for support as they grow.

How long do sugar snap peas produce?

If you allow the first dozen or two pods to mature and develop seeds, that may exhaust the plant and become your entire harvest; whereas, if you harvest all pods when young, a pea plant may continue to produce consistently for 2 to 3 months or longer.

Can you plant a second crop of peas?

If your spring-planted peas go south because spring veered quickly from too cold to too hot, take heart: You can plant a second batch on the other side of summer. … That’s because heat is the enemy of a good pea, whether it’s a shell pea, snap pea or snow pea. So is maturity; that’s the second boat, if you will.

How late is too late to plant peas?

“Plant peas as soon as the ground can be worked” is a popular saying in the gardening world. Unfortunately, in my garden, that means mid- to late March! However, our fortunate southern friends can often start planting in January and February.

Can I plant snap peas in June?

Tasty melons make for a great treat on hot, long summers and a staple for summer picnics and family fun. Peas (Zones 3-5): For Zones 3-5 and 6 depending on weather, green peas and sugar peas are good to plant in June, and will produce a great summer crop of fresh, crisp peas.

How many sugar peas does one plant produce?

Crop (number of plants per ft. of row)Number of plants per personOnion (4 sets/ft. of row)12-20 setsPeas (6 plants/ft. of row)15-20 plantsPepper (1 plant/ft. of row)3-5 plantsPotato (1 plant/ft. of row)10 plants

Should you soak sugar snap peas before planting?

Peas are one of those seeds that really require a lot of moisture before they will germinate. … So the idea behind soaking your pea seeds before planting is to give them a head start. If you soak those pea seeds for 12 hours or so they will already be soft and moist and ready to germinate and start growing right away.

Will peas grow in hot weather?

They grow best when the temperature stays below 70 degrees. Peas will stop producing pods when they get too hot, but will start producing again when it cools down. That’s why peas are considered a cool-weather crop. … They’re less fibrous than English peas, and they snap like green beans.

Can I grow peas now?

Sow peas between March and early July. For earlier crops that are ready from May onwards, sow in autumn or late winter (bear in mind you may experience losses from cold weather or mice). Choose a sunny, well-drained spot. … Alternatively, start plants indoors in autumn to avoid seeds being eaten by pests.

How many pods does a sugar snap pea plant produce?

Oregon Sugar Pod Pea plants generally produce pea pods in groups of two. This accounts for the generous harvest, since most pea plants only produce single pods. If planted every few weeks, you will have continuous pods to harvest and use. Sow seeds in early spring or late summer for a fall crop.

How much sun do sugar snap peas need?

In areas with especially warm spring temperatures, snap peas do best when planted in a spot that gets four to six hours of full morning sun, followed by partial, shifting shade in the hotter afternoon hours.

Do snow pea plants keep producing?

Snow Peas are one of the easiest plants to grow in your yard at home. They don’t take up a lot of space and they produce prolifically once they get going. … The plants will typically start to produce 2 months after sowing and they can be harvested for a period of 4 to 6 weeks before the plant dies back.

Should I soak my pea seeds before planting?

Some pea (Pisum sativum) seeds will look wrinkled. Most of them have hard coats, and all benefit from soaking before planting. … Only soak seeds for about eight to 12-hours and no more than 24-hours. Over-soaking them could cause them to decompose.

Can I start snap peas indoors?

An indoor pea plant needs 8 to 10 hours of bright light. You can either place it in the sunniest location of the home or use grow lights. Many varieties grow well in containers and will flourish indoors, but snap pea, snow pea and dwarf pea plants are the easiest.

Why do germinating peas consume more oxygen?

Germinating peas consume more oxygen because they are growing and are more active than non-germinating peas. 18. What was the effect of temperature on pea respiration? Warmer temperatures allow for the peas to respire at a faster rate.

Can sugar snap peas survive frost?

Peas are able to do just fine in temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. … peas can survive the cold but will suffer some damage. (This is assuming that the cold happens without an insulating blanket of snow.) If snow has fallen and has covered the peas, the plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 degrees F.

Can you grow peas from frozen peas?

The frozen pea seeds will not germinate (see Expected results) but they may start to decompose. Tape up the Petri dishes containing frozen pea seeds and allow the students to observe the seeds without re-opening these Petri dishes.

How tall should a sugar snap pea trellis be?

Simply zig-zag the panels through your row of peas and push them into the ground (add a stake on each end in windy locations). Total length 9’8″ by 37″ high installed. For more height, choose the Tall Expandable Pea Trellis, which is 64″ high installed.

Why are my pea plants turning yellow at the bottom?

Root rot – Root rot is also a soil-borne fungus that affects peas. Pea plants yellow at the base of the plant and stems wither and eventually die back. Spores are dispersed through contact, wind, and water. The fungus overwinters in garden debris, waiting to afflict new plants in the spring.

Do sugar snap peas grow back every year?

Sweet peas grow as annuals throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 to 10. They are best started in the cooler months, as soon as the ground can be worked, as the plants prefer cool ground in which to germinate.

Do peas only produce once?

Plant early, mid-season, and late varieties to get maximum pea production. In the spring, instead of planting different varieties at weekly intervals, plant peas all at once. They’ll mature at different times, staggering the harvest.