Planting Plans for Garden Peas

, written by Barbara Pleasant us flag

Row of peas

Garden peas have two characteristics that make them strong candidates for super-productive planting plans. First, peas vine upward, and their vertical posture makes it possible to plant a low-growing crop at their base. Second, in most climates spring-planted peas finish producing in midsummer, leaving a nice chunk of growing season left for growing another major vegetable after peas. Whether you are talking intercropping (planting multiple vegetables in shared space) or succession planting (following one vegetable with another in the same season), garden peas provide plenty of creative opportunities.

Each year I grow all three types of pea (magnetite, snap peas and shell peas) though the shell peas never make it into the kitchen because we eat them in the garden. This makes it even more important to maximise the space we give to peas. Snap peas are the most productive type because of their plump pods. In a good year, we freeze enough snap peas to last until spring.

Interplanting plan for peas

Interplanting With Peas

All garden peas, including short varieties, need some type of support. Your trellising opportunities are endless, because peas will use their strong tendrils to cling to almost any support. Your trellis design has substantial bearing on any interplanting plan. If you have an upright trellis down the center of a bed, the available interplanting space is on the outside of the peas. The two simple pea planting plans (at right, top beds) show how you might do this with leafy greens like lettuce, rocket or spinach, or with shallow-rooted radishes and spring onions. I like the greens option best because leafy greens shade the pea roots and help keep them cool. To keep from disturbing the pea roots, I harvest these salad greens by cutting them rather than by pulling up the plants.

Peas will climb almost anything
Peas will climb almost any supports

The plan changes if you plant peas in widely spaced rows, and provide a slanted diagonal trellis. This creates a sheltered spot down the middle of the row, which can be planted with onions or potatoes (see above illustration, bottom two beds). In climates where mild spring weather never lasts long enough, this is an excellent way to get a nice summer crop of new potatoes despite the early onset of hot weather.

Succession Planting with Peas

It's natural to want to wait for pea plants to produce every last pea, but you will need a more ruthless attitude to terminate your peas to make room for a new crop. Many gardeners (including me) like to follow peas with cucumbers or squash, which can make use of the trellis erected for the peas. There is no need to pull up the peas - simply snip them off at the soil line. Any unused nitrogen nodules on the pea roots will be in position to help nurture the next crop.

Pea flowers

Several gardeners I know conduct covert operations in their pea patches by snipping out individual pea plants and slipping in cucumber or squash seedlings while the remaining peas are still growing. How do you know when to mobilise with a succession crop? Regardless of their type and size, peas eventually run out of steam, which is apparent when the new pods form at the stem tips rather than on side branches. Pod set in peas always proceeds in a predictable sequence from the bottom of the plant to the top. When only pods at the stems' topmost tips remain, it's time for a change.

If you do stage a complete renovation of the pea bed (unavoidable when interplanting with potatoes), consider carrots as your succession crop. A good friend who is also one of the best vegetable gardeners I know highly recommends this succession. In climates with long and lovely autumns, you may be able to grow broccoli after peas, too. Please share what works for you in your garden, because few of us ever get enough garden peas.

By Barbara Pleasant

Plants Related to this Article

Bugs, Beneficial Insects and Plant Diseases

< All Guides

Garden Planning Apps

If you need help designing your vegetable garden, try our Vegetable Garden Planner.
Garden Planning Apps and Software

Vegetable Garden Pest Warnings

Want to Receive Alerts When Pests are Heading Your Way?

If you've seen any pests or beneficial insects in your garden in the past few days please report them to The Big Bug Hunt and help create a warning system to alert you when bugs are heading your way.

Show Comments



Comments

 
"Growing peas have become a crap shoot in SE Michigan. Our springs have become roller coaster rides--extreme highs and lows, then suddenly, summer! Last year my peas were a complete bust due to early onset heat. it's hard to know when to plant anymore. St Paddy's day is usually way too cold, but if you wait much longer the season maybe truncated by too much heat. This March has been truly strange.Last week it was 85, this week there is freezing. I presprouted about half my seed this year and planted everything in the ground on March 25. I covered the trellis with greenhouse plastic making an A-Frame greenhouse to protect against the winds and cold. Nothing breaking the surface yet. I keep trying, but I wonder with climate change whether pea growing will become a thing of the past."
April Campbell on Saturday 31 March 2012
"I planted my snap peas on St. Joseph's Day a few weeks ago, and see some lovely green coming up through the white frost fabric I bought last week right before the frost, right after the 75degree warm snap (like that?). I live near the water in Newport, RI, so our extremes are a bit less extreme than Michigan. Radishes are also showing their green. I think these weather changes will indeed require more tricks against frost and heat. I like the idea of my peas shading my lettuce later this summer. Thanks for the great ideas!"
NewportSue on Saturday 31 March 2012
"We love snap peas, but I have found we can only grow them as an early crop. It seems humans aren't the only ones that like peas, and while the weather cooperates in western Washington for followup crops of peas, the bugs don't! These are the kind that like to get inside the peas. So, we do succession planting using cucumbers or carrots as our second crop. I like the idea of snipping the pea at the ground and leaving the roots for the nitrogen. Good idea!"
Norm on Friday 6 April 2012
"I have planted snow peas and they are coming to the end of the fruitng period. What do I do with them now? Should I cut them back to soil level? If I do, will they grown back again? Any advice would be appreciated as they are now just taking nutrients from the soil and stunting growth of the other plants near by. Thank you"
Amy on Saturday 1 December 2012
"I have just planted pod peas (sub-tropical Australia) in March. We can grow them most of the year in this climate, only avoiding the hottest months. I have five garden beds and can move them around from crop to crop. I'll most likely grow snap peas in a different bed and snow peas along the back fence when my torn rib cartilege heals enough to weed the area. All of our peas get eaten, except the few I keep as seed for next year's crop. "
Linda on Thursday 23 March 2017

Add a Comment

Add your own thoughts on the subject of this article:
(If you have difficulty using this form, please use our Contact Form to send us your comment, along with the title of this article.)

 
   
(We won't display this on the website or use it for marketing)



Captcha


(Please enter the code above to help prevent spam on this article)



By clicking 'Add Comment' you agree to our Terms and Conditions