Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Peas are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables and among the first cool-season crops you can sow — directly into soil as cold as 4°C, 4–6 weeks before last frost. They prefer well-drained, fertile soil at pH 6.0–7.5. Before sowing, inoculate seeds with pea-specific rhizobium inoculant — this can double yields in gardens where peas have not been grown before. Sow 2.5–3cm deep in rows 60–90cm apart; space seeds 5–8cm apart. Bush types grow 60–90cm and need only short twiggy sticks for support; climbing types reach 1.5–2m and need a proper trellis. Water regularly — 2.5cm per week — but reduce once pods are setting; overwatering in cool weather promotes root rot. Do not apply nitrogen fertiliser. Provide a single application of superphosphate (50g per square metre) at sowing to support root development. Peas deteriorate rapidly in heat — plan for harvest completion before sustained temperatures above 24°C arrive.