Planting Peas in Your Garden for St. Patrick’s Day

One of my favorite childhood memories is of sitting in my grandmom’s garden, grubby kneed, picking snow peas for late spring/early summer salads. Naturally, only a few that passed through my fingers actually made it into the basket. By the time March rolls around, after months spent hunkered down inside with sweaters, blankets, and hot tea, I am impatient for those warm summer days. I want my garden to start growing and I want my kids to snack on peas each time they pass by the plants… which is why I spent Saturday morning shoveling snow and then planting some peas!

Plant peas about 1-2 inches apart, then cover with 1-2 inches of soil.

For those of us itching to get our hands dirty, peas truly are the perfect spring veggie. They are easy to plant, easy to grow, winter hardy, and beautifully green even through late frosts, making them an ideal start to an early spring garden. I personally favor snap peas for their sweet flavor and satisfying crunch. I like eating them right in the pods, as I am generally averse to shucking anything. However, you can use any variety of peas, since they are all fairly cold resistant. For an extra-early garden, pick a variety marked as Early or Very Early. Those will be the hardiest.

Ferry Morse pea seeds in packets. My absolute favorite are Cascadia Sugar Snap.

Peas definitely favor the cold. They grow best in temperatures under 70 degrees, so in the spring and fall in the Northeast. You can start planting them a little over a month before your last cold snap of the season, or really as soon as the ground can be worked. For us, that falls right around St. Patrick’s Day. Choose a location that gets plenty of sun but won’t get too warm in the Summer, to extend your growing season a bit. Sow your seedlings directly into the soil approximately one to two inches deep (follow the seed packet instructions). If you are growing your pea plants in a container, as I do, ensure the soil is at least 6 inches deep to allow their roots to spread. The plants should be spaced about two inches apart once they germinate, but I usually drop a seed per inch. Feel free to be liberal with the seeds then thin your crop of the weaker plants when it begins to look crowded. When the younger kids help, you will definitely plant way too many seeds, and they will not be evenly spaced, but that is OK! If you live in a fairly dry climate, be sure to water your peas regularly as they will not thrive in dry soil. At the same time, if your soil is sodden with melting snow, you may want to consider planting in a container or raised bed in the early spring.

Young pea plants finding their way on to a trellis.

Peas will usually germinate in 2-3 weeks in early spring, and in 1-2 weeks when the weather gets a little warmer. When you see their little heads popping up from the soil, your heart will sing! Your kids will be overjoyed. You should channel all this excitement and erect a trellis. Peas are climbing vines, so a trellis will allow them to grow efficiently and will make your harvest much easier. The trellis can be as simple or as complex as you wish. I have found simple twigs stuck securely in the soil work beautifully. Today I use a square tomato tower frame, folded into a zigzag shape. Once the first pea plants find their way to the supports, the rest use their siblings as a guide.

Pea pods on vines, ready for picking.

The total growing period for peas is around 60-70 days, on average. When you plant in the early spring, plants will grow a bit slower. Regardless, by the time you are transplanting your tomatoes and peppers outside, you’ll also be getting ready to harvest your first peas. I start a crop every two weeks or so throughout March and April because… well… you can never have too many peas! Forget spring-cleaning, or at least put it aside for a few more weeks. Start a new tradition of spring gardening! Whether you already have a very green thumb or you’re just toying with the idea of a kitchen garden, growing peas is a great place to start. They are one of the easiest AND one of the most rewarding additions to your vegetable patch. Let me know if you chose to take the plunge this year and how it’s working out for you.

A few other thoughts on planting peas:

Peas are, themselves, seeds. You can grow more peas from your favorite variety of fresh peas picked up from the farmer’s market or your local produce section. Be sure not to use dried peas from a dry-goods aisle as they are often treated to prevent sprouting.
Here is a tip for seeds that were not purchased this year. Simply take a paper towel and dampen with water. Sprinkle as many peas/seeds you would like on top. It is a good idea to be generous, as not all of them will successfully start, but give them some room. Then, fold the paper over so the seeds are gently moistened on all sides. Place the paper towel in a medium sized plastic container. Cover loosely, so that the seeds can breathe a little but water will not evaporate too quickly. Store in a cool place and keep the paper damp at all times. A spray bottle is a great way to let little helpers do their bit at this stage, without worry of over-saturating the paper. Once you see sprouts emerge, the seedlings are ready for planting. Any seeds that have failed to sprout or have begun to mold should be thrown away, and the paper towel replaced.
At our previous house in New Jersey, we had large raised bed garden in our back yard. When we moved, we decided to use the City Pickers Garden System on our back deck and a few flower beds, with great success.
For more information on growing just about anything, and for calculating your frost dates, I always recommend the The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

And now some of our pictures:

Our City Pickers container, ready for planting with potting mix (mostly old and a little bit of new), dolomite, and fertilizer.

The craziest part of gardening in this weather: no outside water. We had to bring water from the kitchen sink to water in our seeds. In this weather, we will likely not add any water to our City Pickers container for a week or so.