How to grow Snow Peas

At a glance

🌱 Grow your Snow Peas with GardenDex

• Reminders to water it, timed to your weather and whether it's in a pot
• Frost and disease alerts for your garden, the night before
• Follow it from seed to harvest, and see what your garden grew in $
• Point your camera at any plant or bug to identify it

🗓️ When to plant

Sow in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in late summer for an autumn crop in mild climates. They thrive in cool weather and struggle in heat.

🌰 How to plant

1. Soak seeds in water for 2 hours before sowing to speed germination.
2. Sow seeds directly 2 cm (¾ in) deep into prepared soil.
3. Install sturdy support such as a trellis or pea netting, as plants climb 60–180 cm (2–6 ft) depending on variety.
4. Water gently after sowing to settle the soil.

💧 Care

• Mulch around plants to retain moisture and keep roots cool.
• Feed with a balanced or nitrogen-light fertiliser every 3–4 weeks once flowering begins.
• Pinch out growing tips if plants become too bushy, redirecting energy to pod production.
• Monitor for wind damage and provide shelter or stake loosely if needed in exposed gardens.

🧺 Harvest

Harvest pods when they are flat and tender, before peas inside swell too much—usually 2–3 weeks after flowering. Snap or snip off each pod gently, and regular picking encourages more flowers.

🐛 Common problems

Powdery mildew: Improve air circulation by pruning lower leaves, water at soil level rather than overhead, and spray with sulphur or neem oil if needed.

Aphids: Spray with a strong water jet or insecticidal soap, or introduce predatory insects such as ladybirds.

Slugs and snails: Handpick pests in early morning, use beer traps, or scatter sharp mulches such as crushed eggshells around plants.

🤝 Companion plants

💚 Good neighbours: Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Lettuce

⚠️ Keep apart from: Onions, Garlic

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