Also known as Shelling pea · English pea · Green pea
Harvest plump pods for peas inside; the pod is usually discarded. Growth slows in midwinter and stops as spring heat arrives.
EdibleCool-season cropNitrogen fixer
Growing spaceVegetable bedClimate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9bCrop familyFabaceae (legume)Life cycleAnnual cropPhoenix planting windowSeptember–February; October–January is the dependable stretch.How to plantDirect sow; provide a trellis for tall varieties.Plant spacing2–3 in along a row or trellisFrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.Time to harvestAbout 60–120 days from September sowing; 120–150 from November in the Maricopa calendarSuccessionSow every 3–4 weeks until midwinter.Special categoriesEDIBLE · NITROGEN FIXINGTypical harvestCool-season pods, often late winter to spring.
Before you plant
These conditions determine whether it will thrive.
Cold hardinessCover in a hard freeze below 28°F
Vines handle light frost, but flowers and young pods are more tender. Cover blooming plants in a hard freeze.
Leaves and wood: damaged below 28°FHeat toleranceNeeds afternoon shade
Likes days of 55 to 70°F. Flowering and pod set fall off fast as it warms, so plant by February and expect vines to quit by April in Phoenix.
