🫛
Pea
Sugar Snap
LegumesDirect Sow
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
Every 5 days
🌱
Germination
10 days
🕐
Days to harvest
68 days
📏
Planting depth
1 inches deep
↔️
Row spacing
18 inches
When to Plant
Direct sow in early spring (frost tolerant)
Growing Guide
Soil: well-drained · pH 6.0–7.5
Peas fix nitrogen and don't need rich soil. Average garden soil amended with a little compost is ideal. Good drainage is essential — peas rot easily in wet cold soil. Slightly alkaline soil (towards 7.0) suits peas well.
- Sow as early as soil can be worked — peas thrive in cold soil and tolerate hard frosts once established
- Sow 1 inch deep, 2–3 inches apart along a trellis, fence, or netting support
- Inoculate with pea inoculant for best nitrogen fixation
- Provide a trellis, fence, or netting support 4–6 feet tall — Sugar Snap climbs vigorously
- Plant in full sun in spring; late summer sowing can tolerate partial shade to slow bolting in warmth
Care
💧 Water every 5 days
📐 Spacing: 3 inches apart · 18 inches between rows
Recommended sub-rows: 2
Harvest & Storage
Ready in 68 days with a harvest window of 21 days.
- Harvest when pods are plump, rounded, and the string snaps cleanly
- Sugar Snap is best harvested young — as the peas inside fully develop the pod becomes tougher
- Check daily at peak season — plants in warm weather can go from perfect to overripe overnight
- Pick consistently to encourage more flowering
Storage
Refrigerate in a perforated bag. Best within 2–3 days. Sugar Snaps freeze poorly compared to shelling peas — enjoy fresh.
Companion Planting
Grows well with:
carrotradishspinach
Keep away from:
oniongarlic
Essential Tools
- Trellis netting or chicken wire support (4–6 feet high)
- Pea inoculant
- Row cover (extends both spring and fall season)
Pests & Diseases
- Pea aphid: large green aphids on growing tips — knock off with water spray; severe infestations: insecticidal soap
- Powdery mildew: white powder on leaves in warm dry weather — choose resistant varieties; this is the main reason for early-season sowing
- Pea enation virus: puckered, pale, distorted growth — remove affected plants; transmitted by aphids