Peas belong to the Fabaceae family (sometimes referred to as legumes). The Fabaceae family includes peas, beans, soybeans, lentils, peanuts and others.

Fabaceae plants have the unique ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere in nodules in their roots through a mutually beneficial relationship with a soil bacterium called Rhizobium. In return, the plant supplies energy to the Rhizobium. If the roots of Fabaceae plants are left to decay in the soil after harvest, the nitrogen is released into the soil which will benefit the vegetables growing there the following growing season. 

Since Fabaceae plants share a common ancestor, they all have very similar growing needs and are prone to similar problems.

While they are quite similar, there are some key differences, so to ensure best success we've broken these into separate articles for easier instruction.

Peas are high in vitamins A, C, K, B6, thiamine, fibre and protein. Check here for detailed information from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

The Canadian Food Guide recommends that roughly half of the food on your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

Peas should be direct seeded. Transplants are not recommended.

The timing of planting should coincide with your frost-free dates. We've given suggested dates below, but you can adjust these to your local conditions. Peas can tolerate cooler temperatures and can be sown 1 - 2 weeks before your last expected spring frost date as long as your soil is at least 10°C.

• Knowing the last expected spring frost date for your location will help you plan when to sow seeds. The date is based on averages and varies according to where you live – it is as early as mid-May for Saskatoon, Estevan and Swift Current, SK, while Yellowknife is May 30 and the Moosonee region in Manitoba is June 10. Find the date of the last spring frost at this link: https://climateatlas.ca/map/canada/lastspring_baseline# Click on where you live on the map.
  
  

In general peas take about 56 and 80 days from seed to harvest, depending on the cultivar. This is usually listed as "days to maturity" on the seed packet.

• Saskatoon has around 130 frost-free days throughout the spring and summer for plants to grow. In Yellowknife, you can expect around 111 frost-free days. Check your seed package for your days to maturity or days to harvest information and compare it with your local average frost free days.
• The frost-free season is the total number of days (on average) when there is no frost. It starts on the date of the last frost in spring and ends on the date of the first frost in fall. To find out the length of the frost-free season where you live, click on this link and find your location on the map: https://climateatlas.ca/map/canada/ffp_baseline# 
• Note that these are current estimates and we expect our growing season to get warmer, longer, and drier as our climate continues to change.

Timing

• Peas are best planted from seed. Peas can tolerate cooler temperatures and will germinate in about 14 days when the soil temperature is between 5 - 10°C. At 15°C, peas germinate in about 9 days. 
• If the soil is colder than 5°C, seeds may rot.
• You can seed early and do successive plantings every 2 weeks until mid-June to spread out your workload and your harvest.  
• However, later maturing peas will be more susceptible to powdery mildew. (grow mildew resistant cultivars)

Planting instructions

• There is no need to soak peas before seeding but do water seed areas well after you plant.
  • Pre-soaked pea seeds planted in cool (under 10°C), moist soil may rot.
  • If you soak seed and then plant into dry soil, germination will be poor. 
• Plant seeds 2.5 - 5 cm deep (or as directed on the seed package) into moist soil about 5 - 7 cm apart in rows about 45 cm apart. Thinning is not needed. 
• Install trellis for tall varieties.
• Shorter, bush varieties also benefit from some support such as chicken wire or brush clippings inserted in the soil. 

Don't forget to label what you planted. It's also helpful to draw a map to help you track planting locations and success each year. This information is critical if you're rotating your crops to help prevent insect and disease issues.

There is lots to choose from when selecting pea types. Some peas have a tall, vining growth habit and do best with some support like a trellis. Bush varieties are shorter.

Shelling peas are harvested for the large seeds inside the pod and the pod is discarded. With snap peas (sometimes called sugar snap peas) the entire pod and seeds are eaten. Snow peas have a thinner pod and tiny seeds, all of which is eaten.

Cultivar recommendations:

• Here are cultivar recommendations from the North Dakota State University Cultivar Trials, as they share a similar prairie climate and soils. You may download their list here: North Dakota State University Vegetable Cultivar Recommendations for 2021
  • • Shell: Early Frosty, Green Arrow, Knight, Lincoln, Little Marvel, Maestro Improved, Wando.
    • Snap: Sugar Ann, Super Sugar Snap.
    • Snow: Oregon Giant, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Sweet Horizon.
• The following cultivars are recommendations from the University of Saskatchewan vegetable program field trials which were conducted from 1989 through 2016. 
  • Snap: Bolero, Dalvay, Eclipse, Freezer 69, Galena, Maestro, Maxigolt, Novella, Novella Improved, Olympia, Penelope, Straight Arrow, Wando
  • Snow: Little Sweetie, Oregon Giant, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Nori, Sugar Ann, Sugar Lace

Actively growing peas prefer 2.5 cm moisture/week in well-drained soils. Water is especially important during and after flowering. Dry soil will reduce yields. 

Apply mulch around plants to keep soil evenly moist and to reduce weeding.

Peas are not suitable for fall seeding.

Peas are a cool season crop that do well in the north. Select early maturing varieties (less than 55 days to maturity) for best results.

Peas grow well in the far north on raised beds, which is simply a mound of soil higher than the natural grade, which may be framed or unframed. Raised beds tend to warm up faster than level ground in spring which enables you to sow seeds earlier.

Once the snow has melted, lay a sheet of clear plastic on top of the soil to warm the soil. Studies show that clear plastic works better than black plastic to warm soil. Be sure to anchor the edges so the plastic does not blow away. Remove the plastic before planting.

See our preservation section for more videos.

Peas are excellent grown as a microgreen.

Any of the recommended cultivars would work in a container. If you choose a tall cultivar, provide a trellis for support to grow vertically.

Save seeds from open pollinated or heirloom varieties of peas. If the plant tag or seed package from the original plant says “hybrid”, then the seeds grown from hybrids won’t look the same next year.

The seeds of peas are inside the pods. Leave the pods on the plant until they turn brown and are dry and brittle. The seeds in green pods do not ripen well after they are picked from the plant. If there is hard frost or wet weather, cut and bring the whole plant inside. Hang the plant upside down to finish ripening the seeds.
 
Once the pods are dry and brittle, crack them open and remove the seeds. Discard the pods in your compost. Keep the best seeds and discard ones that are small, shrivelled or moldy. The seeds should be hard and dry before storing them. If the seeds are still a bit soft, spread them out on a plate or tray and allow to dry until they feel hard like a pebble.

Place seeds in an envelope marked with the name and year harvested. Place the envelope in a jar and seal. Store in the fridge. 

Peas have a high respiration rate. It is important to keep them cool when harvesting.

Use one hand to hold the vine and the other to pluck the pea from the vine without tearing the calyx (the end attached to the vine).

Long term preservation methods we include freezing, fermenting, dehydrating (drying) or canning.

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