Garden pea

How to grow Garden pea

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sow from March to June in a flat-bottomed drill about 5 cm deep, spacing seed roughly 8 cm apart in a double row. Peas dislike hot dry weather, so early sowings usually crop better than late ones. Put supports in at sowing time — even short cultivars crop far better with netting or twiggy sticks to climb.

Pruning

Pick pods regularly from the bottom of the plant upwards to keep production going. Cut the top growth off at the end of the season and leave the roots in the ground, as they carry nitrogen-fixing nodules.

Propagation

From seed. Peas are self-pollinating, so saved seed from open-pollinated cultivars comes true.

Pests and diseases

Mice dig up sown seed, which is a common reason for a row failing to appear. Pigeons strip young plants — net them. Pea moth larvae get into the pods of midsummer crops; earlier and later sowings usually escape. Powdery mildew is normal on late crops in dry summers.

Value to wildlife

Bumblebees visit the flowers, though peas set fine without them.

Notes

This is the modern accepted name for the plant long listed as Pisum sativum; seed packets and catalogues still mostly use the old name. Mulch to keep roots cool and moist, which delays mildew and extends cropping.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Lathyrus oleraceus but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Lathyrus