When to Plant Sugar Snap Peas for Fall Harvest?

When to plant sugar snap peas for fall harvest? If you don’t know, the perfect timing for sowing them affects how healthy their yield is.

Aside from spring, most gardeners, regardless of where in the country they live (colder or warmer), get to plant a second round of these crops in the fall.

Specifically, the perfect time to plant snap peas is in late summer, at least 8-10 weeks before the first frost in your region.

When to Grow Sugar Snap Peas?

1. Plant sugar snap peas in summer.

Gardeners have two periods for growing sugar snap peas, one in spring and another in fall.

For a fall harvest, planting sugar snap peas in late summer through early autumn is the ideal time, as this is when the temperatures are cooling down.

Growing them during this period will ensure healthy yields, since you get to establish the peas before the first frost arrives.

2. Sow them at least 8 to 10 weeks before the first frost starts.

When doing sugar snap peas fall planting, sowing your seeds for at least 8-10 weeks before the frost arrives is ideal.

Because the average sugar snap peas days to maturity are 60 days, following the above recommendation gives the seeds at least two months to be settled in the ground for on-time harvesting.

For instance, in zone 6, November 1st is its first frost date. It is best to follow the 8–10 week guideline and sow them around September 6 or August 23.

If you live in zone 7, where the first frost date is November 15th, planting snap peas around September 20 is the best time.

However, zones 8 and 9 have much later first frosts than the previous two areas. The first frost in zone 8 typically occurs on December 1st, while December 15th is the estimate in zone 9.

Therefore, the best planting time for these two zones is around mid-October.

How to Plant Peas?

Did You Know You Can Eat the Shoots and Blossoms of the Sugar Snap Pea?

Aside from the pods, the shoots and blossoms of any edible peas are consumable. You can use them for stir-fried recipes.

These parts are sweet and taste like the pods, so you don’t need to worry about mixing them with other ingredients.

Do Sugar Snap Peas Need a Trellis?

Some pea varieties naturally need to be trellised to grow well. Bush peas and climbing peas are the most common types that need this support.

Attaching a mesh wire or netting to the trellis is a big help in making it easy for the peas to climb.

What to Consider When Growing Sugar Snap Peas?

1. Soil Condition

The proper soil condition suitable for growing snap peas is well-draining soil filled with organic matter, with a pH scale of 6.0-7.5 for optimum growth.

Adding some compost or other organic materials is a big help for keeping the soil moist, well-draining, and improving soil’s acidity.

2. Planting Area

Snap peas usually need 6-8 hours of sunlight for ideal growth.

3. Watering Requirements

Snap peas grow best when you keep them moist but not too wet, so the proper amount of watering is essential. In detail, an inch of water per week will do.

However, if the rain persists for days on end, limit your irrigation to avoid harming your plants. But for dryer days, watering while applying much is best to keep the peas moist.

Conclusion

Knowing when to plant sugar snap peas for fall harvest, along with learning the proper soil, location, and water requirements, is just as crucial as knowing how to grow them.

Not only does it make your snap peas ready for consumption, but it also induces proper growth. If you plan on cultivating climbing or bush peas, don’t forget to support them with a trellis!

Once again, plant snap peas when the climate becomes favorable and do it weeks before the first frost date to ensure a bountiful fall harvest. Thank you for reading!

Besides growing peas, you also can refer to grow other plants such as winter rye, onion seed, and etc for your garden.