When to Plant Peas in the UK
Peas are one of the first crops of the vegetable year. They like cool weather, don't mind a chilly spring and grow fast once they're up, which makes them a great early crop. The trick is sowing when the soil is warm enough for the seeds to germinate, then sowing a few more batches so you can keep picking all summer.
Quick answer
Sow peas outdoors from March to June, once the soil has warmed to around 10°C and isn't frozen or waterlogged. For an earlier start, sow indoors in pots, modules or a length of guttering in February or March, and plant out when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall. Sow a new batch every few weeks until June for peas right through summer.
Pea sowing calendar
February to March: sow indoors or under cover for an early crop.
March to April: start sowing outdoors once the soil warms. Early varieties are a good choice.
April to June: keep sowing outdoors every few weeks, using early and maincrop varieties.
June: make the last main outdoor sowings, ideally of a quick early variety so the peas are ready before autumn.
Autumn: in mild areas with well-drained soil, hardy varieties can be sown outdoors or under cover for an extra-early crop the following year.
For harvest dates, see when to harvest peas
When is the soil warm enough?
Pea seeds need soil of about 10°C to germinate well. In colder, wetter soil, they sit without growing, and many rot or get eaten by mice before they come up.
Warm the soil before early sowings by covering the bed with fleece, cloches or plastic sheeting for a week or two. Never sow into ground that's frozen, soggy or sticky.
Early, second early and maincrop peas
Peas are grouped by how quickly they crop:
First earlies: the quickest, ready in about 12 weeks. Best for the first sowings of spring and the last sowings of summer.
Second earlies: ready in about 13–14 weeks.
Maincrop: the slowest, at 14–16 weeks, but often the heaviest cropping. Sow in spring for summer peas.
Mixing types, or sowing a quick variety several times, means your peas won't all be ready in the same fortnight. Reliable varieties recommended by the RHS include 'Hurst Green Shaft', 'Kelvedon Wonder' and 'Jaguar', plus 'Delikata' and 'Sugar Ann' for edible pods.
Sowing peas outdoors
Choose a sunny spot and prepare the soil well.
Make a flat-bottomed trench about 5 cm deep and 15 cm wide.
Sow the seeds about 7.5 cm apart in two or three staggered rows along the trench.
Cover them over, firm gently, and water in dry weather.
Leave space between rows roughly equal to the final height of the variety.
Put supports in at sowing time so the young plants have something to climb straight away: twiggy sticks for shorter varieties, and netting on canes or posts for tall ones.
Sowing peas indoors
Sowing under cover gets peas off to a faster start and protects the seed from mice and birds.
In pots or modules: sow seeds 5 cm deep, one per module or root trainer, or two or three to a pot.
In guttering: fill a length of old plastic guttering with compost to use as a long seed tray. Space the seeds 7.5 cm apart in two staggered lines. When the seedlings are ready, slide the whole row out into a shallow trench in the garden.
Plant them out when they're about 20 cm tall, after hardening them off. See how to harden off seedlings
Protecting new sowings
Mice love freshly sown peas, and young seedlings attract pigeons, slugs and snails.
Start peas off indoors if mice are a problem in your garden.
Cover rows with netting or fleece until the plants are established.
Check for slugs on damp evenings. See slugs eating seedlings
Is it too late to plant peas?
Main sowings finish in June. Peas sown later tend to struggle in hot, dry weather and are more likely to get mildew. If you want a late crop, sow a fast early variety in June and keep it well watered. From late summer, sow pea shoots on a windowsill instead, which are ready to cut within a few weeks.
Planting peas in containers
Dwarf and compact varieties grow well in wide pots or troughs, with twiggy sticks for support. The sowing dates are the same as in the ground. See growing peas in containers
Watering, supports and the rest of the season are covered in how to grow peas in the UK. If your seeds haven't come up or plants are struggling, see why peas don't grow. Other early crops are listed in when to plant vegetables in the UK
Common questions
When should I plant peas in the UK?
Outdoors from March to June, once the soil has warmed to about 10°C. You can also sow indoors from February for an earlier crop.
Can I sow peas in February?
Yes, indoors or under cover, in pots, modules or guttering. Outdoor soil is usually too cold in February, so wait until March or later to sow outside.
How late can you plant peas?
The last main outdoor sowings are in June. Choose a quick early variety for late sowings so the peas are ready before the weather turns.
How deep should you plant peas?
About 5 cm deep and 7.5 cm apart, in a flat-bottomed trench around 15 cm wide.
Dates, soil temperature, spacing and varieties based on RHS guidance.