Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, peas are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing peas.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Peas Belong To?
Peas (Pisum sativum) belong to the Fabaceae family, also known as the legume family.
Some of its relatives include green beans, peanuts, and fenugreek.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Peas?
The minimum container depth recommended for peas is 8 inches.
A 5-gallon planter can hold 5-6 pea plants.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Peas?
Some of peas' best companions are as follows:
- Carrot
- Celery
- Lovage
- Cucumber
- Squash
- Melon
- Eggplant
- Tomatillo
- Peppers such as bell pepper and jalapeño
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Amaranth
- Orach
- Beans such as green beans
- Corn
- Oats
- Sorghum
- Sage
- Artichoke
- Blackberry
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Peas?
Peas are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with peas are as follows:
What Soil Conditions Do Peas Need?
Peas prefer soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH that is rich in compost and other organic matter.
How Long Do Peas Take to Germinate?
Peas take 7-14 days to germinate at a temperature of 40-70°F.
How Much Sun Do Peas Need?
Peas can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, they grow fastest in full sun. They will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Peas grown in the shade are more susceptible to pests and disease. This is because they grow more slowly, so they are exposed to these risks for a longer period of time.
Sun recommendations can vary by region. Peas grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below need more shade.
How Much Water Do Peas Need?
Peas need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Peas?
Peas grow fastest in temperatures of 55-65°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some pea varieties are bred for longer harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Peas Get?
The average height of bush peas is 2-3 feet.
The average height of pole peas (also called climbing peas) is 6-8 feet.
Consult your seed packet or seed catalog to determine which type of peas you are growing. Most garden peas are bush peas unless otherwise indicated.
Are Peas Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Peas are annual, meaning that they start and end their lives in the same year.
How Do Peas Reproduce?
Pea plants reproduce by seed or, put another way, by pea. The peas that we eat are the seeds of the plant.
How Many Peas Are Produced Per Plant?
How many peas are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the variety and growing conditions.
Pea plants yield 30 pods per plant on average. There are typically 5-6 peas per pod.
Can Peas Be Ingested?
Pea pods, leaves, shoots, and seeds (peas) are edible.
Peas, their pods, and their plants do not have any known uses in herbal preparations.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting pea pods, seeds (peas), leaves, or shoots.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of peas rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for peas here!
Peas are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: