Sugar Snap Peas: How to Plant and Grow

Sugar snap peas are a versatile and easy-to-grow garden treat that will reward you with crisp, sweet pods perfect for snacking, stir-frying, or adding to salads. Learn how to grow and care for sugar snap peas from seed to harvest, plus essential tips and tricks to ensure a bountiful and healthy crop.

Sugar Snap Peas (Pisum sativum) are my favorite type of peas and the only kind I grow. Their flavors and snappy pods are reward enough, of course, but you won’t find me complaining about the fact that they’re a cool weather crop, perfect for early spring planting.

As someone who’s not particularly a fan of asparagus — I know >gasp< but there has to be more of us out there … right?? — spring is a challenge because I’m craving a substantial homegrown veggie, stat, after such a long winter break.

Not as fast as radishes, but well ahead of summer’s other treats, sugar snap peas fill the void with crispy sweet flair and a beautiful growing habit.

How to Grow Sugar Snap Peas

For the gardener, snap peas are an easy, fairly low maintenance crop. The majority of the work is completed at sowing time — planting the seeds and erecting the supports — after which time the rest of the effort is spent in controlling one’s impatience for that first pod.

At least for me, lol, as it’s one of the first crops of the new growing season, and I can’t wait!

Choose the right variety for you

There are dozens of varieties of snap peas to choose from, so if you’re new to the crop, get yourself in research mode and start browsing the seed sellers!

Sugar snap peas are generally cool weather plants and tolerate frost and chilly temperatures very well. If you live in an area with cool springs, your choices are wide open. If you live in a warm spring zone, you might not have as successful a crop, but there are varieties which have been bred to tolerate warmer temps.

Other considerations include sweetness levels of the peas, sweetness and texture of the pods (most varieties have delicious, crunchy pods), and strings vs. stringless.

And finally, decide if you want a dwarf variety that doesn’t get very tall and is self-supporting, e.g., if you are growing peas in a container.

Most varieties of snap peas grow long vines that need vertical support and room to climb. They’re not heavy and are very easy to train on a trellis.

Plant the seeds at the right time

As mentioned, sugar snap peas are a cool weather crop and you should plan for the plant’s complete lifecycle to occur before hot weather sets in.

Which means you can plant seeds as soon as the soil can be worked, usually a month before your area’s last frost date. Once planted, peas will take 7-14 days to emerge as sprouts. You can expect your first harvest in about 60 days.

Soil Prep

Choose a spot in your garden that receives full sun (or at a maximum, partial shade). Because snap peas are quick-growing and hungry feeders, it’s better to rely on healthy, nutritious soil than the application of fertilizers.

Amend your soil with loamy compost. I usually also mix in a granular fertilizer, such as Espoma’s Plant-Tone organic fertilizer. Finally, ensure that the site drains well, as peas do not like to be water-logged.

Sowing Sugar Snap Peas

Plant the seeds 1″ to 2″ deep, about 4″ apart, and firm over with soil. Water thoroughly. If planting in rows, space the rows 18″ apart or more, so that there’s enough room to provide support for every plant.

Support

Install a trellis, fence, or vertical netting at the time of planting, right up against the seed row. Tall vining varieties will begin to climb quickly after sprouting, so setting up supports at the time of planting prevents accidental damage to the plants and their roots later.

Make sure that the support structure is tall enough. My sugar snaps usually tower over me, and I’m 5’5″!

You don’t need to worry about ties and securing vines to the fence, because the tendrils of the sugar snap pea plant seek out objects to cling to and will easily find and climb the supports.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water at the base of the plants to avoid wetting the foliage, which can encourage disease. Water more frequently during hot, dry periods.

Fertilizing

Sugar snap peas fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, so they generally don’t require additional nitrogen fertilization. However, a balanced fertilizer or side dressing of compost can be applied if plants appear stunted or are slow to set blooms.

Harvesting Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas are ready to harvest approximately 60-70 days from planting, depending on the variety. Pick them when the pods are plump, bright green (or purple, if planting a purple variety), and the seeds inside have reached a good size.

Harvest regularly to encourage more pod production. Healthy plants will continue to produce until the heat of summer halts growth.

Troubleshooting Problems with Sugar Snap Peas

In general, peas are easy maintenance, but sugar snap pea plants can encounter various problems during the growing season, including pests, diseases, and environmental issues. Here are some common problems to watch out for:

Pests

In climates like mine, where the springs are very cool and I have the occasional overnight cold snaps, pests are not a very big problem. However, once the weather warms in late May — which coincides with prime pea pod production — it’s not out of the question to have an infestation of some sort (usually aphids, for me).

• Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that suck plant sap and can transmit viruses. They can cause yellowing and curling of leaves. An aphid infestation is usually fairly large with numerous insects present in clusters, so it’s easy to identify.
• Pea weevils: Adult weevils feed on leaves, while larvae feed on the roots. This can lead to reduced plant vigor and yield.
• Slugs and snails: These pests feed on young seedlings and leaves from the ground, leaving holes and ragged edges.

Use organic methods to control pests, such as introducing beneficial insects, using slug traps, or applying insecticidal soap. Aphids can often be washed off with a strong stream of water from the hose.

Diseases

• Fusarium wilt is, unfortunately, the most common disease of sugar snap peas. Infected plants will have yellow, wilting leaves. Fusarium wilt can have serious consequences across your garden, as it’s a soil borne, fungal disease. It spreads easily via infected equipment and is also carried by insects. If your tomato plants had fusarium wilt the previous year, you can expect it to appear in other parts of your garden. Fusarium wilt can live in the soil for years and there are limited effective remedies. The best thing to do is immediately remove and destroy affected plants, and dig up and discard the soil where it was planted.
• Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that appears as white powdery spots on leaves and stems, causing leaves to turn yellow, wither, and eventually die.
• Root rot: Caused by various fungi, this disease leads to the decay of plant roots, causing wilting, yellowing, and stunted growth.

Practice crop rotation and maintain proper air circulation to prevent diseases like powdery mildew and root rot.

Environmental issues:

• Poor germination: Cold, wet soil or planting seeds too deeply can lead to poor germination or seed rot.
• Blossom drop: High temperatures or extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause flowers to drop before forming pods.
• Leggy plants: Insufficient sunlight can lead to tall, spindly plants with fewer pods.

For most of the situations mentioned above, prevention is the best cure:

• Plant disease-resistant varieties, if available.
• Ensure that your soil is well-draining, and avoid overwatering.
• Space plants appropriately to promote air circulation and reduce disease risk.
• Practice crop rotation year after year to prevent the buildup of pests and diseases in the soil.
• Remove and discard infected plant material promptly.
• Use organic or chemical controls when necessary, such as introducing beneficial insects, using slug traps, or applying fungicides.
• Provide a support structure for the plants to climb and keep foliage off the ground.
• Monitor your plants regularly for signs of pests and diseases, and address issues promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sugar Snap Peas

What do pea seeds look like?
The seeds used for growing sugar snap peas are actually the peas themselves, which have been dried and cured for stability and storage. Don’t worry if they’re dried and wrinkly; that’s how they’re supposed to look!

Do sugar snap peas come back every year?
No, snap peas are annual plants and need to be replanted every growing season.

Do sugar snap peas need a trellis to grow on?
Yes. Sugar snap peas grow in long vines and should be grown vertically and kept off of the ground. Fencing or trellis support is sufficient for healthy growth, as pea plants readily seek out and cling to support structures. The exception here is dwarf varieties, which grow as compact bushes.

Can I grow sugar snap peas in containers?
Yes, sugar snap peas can be grown in pots. Choose a pot or container that is at least 16″ in diameter and 12″ deep. Make sure the pot can accommodate a tall support structure, or place the pot up against a trellis or fence, if not growing a dwarf variety.

Use a high-quality potting mix with adequate drainage. Place the pot in full sun and keep the soil evenly moist.

How long does it take for sugar snap peas to germinate?
Sugar snap peas generally take 7-14 days to germinate, depending on the soil temperature. They germinate best when soil temperatures are between 45-75°F.

Do sugar snap peas need full sun?
Sugar snap peas prefer full sun, but they can tolerate some partial shade. Note, however, that they might produce fewer pods and grow more slowly in shadier conditions.

Do sugar snap peas flower?
Yes! Most varieties of sugar snap peas have white flowers or pale pink flowers, while purple varieties have dark pink or pink and purple flowers. Pea pods emerge from the flower.

Can I grow sugar snap peas from store-bought peas?
Growing sugar snap peas from store-bought peas is generally not recommended, as the peas may not be viable or true to type. It’s best to purchase seeds from a reputable seed supplier to ensure the best results.

How do I know when my peas are ready to harvest?
Sugar snap peas are ready to harvest when the pods are plump, bright green, and firm to the touch. Depending on the variety, you can often see the outlines of the fully formed peas right on the pods.

How do pea tendrils find structures to climb?
I find the tendrils on vining plants such as peas, cucumbers, cucamelons, honeynut squash and other winter squashes completely fascinating. They have an almost unerring sense for locating objects to grab onto so that the plant can climb.

This behavior occurs through thigmotropism. The topic is a bit heady, but if you love learning why things work the way they do, the link provides a comprehensible explanation.

Do I need to remove the strings from sugar snap peas before eating?
Most modern varieties are stringless or have minimal strings. However, if you do find strings on your peas, you can remove them by snapping off the stem end and pulling the string down the side of the pod.

How often should you pick snap peas?
For an optimum harvest, pick mature pods as often as possible. This redirects energy into producing new pods, as opposed to ripening existing pods. Sugar snap peas’ cool-temp growing season is short in much of the country, so you’ll want to encourage as abundant a harvest as possible.

Do you have to cut the ends off sugar snap peas?
You should remove the stem end of a snap pea, where it attaches to the vine, as it’s a bit stiff and fibrous. The opposite end is perfectly fine to eat, although you’ll want to pinch off the spent bloom, if present.

If your variety has strings, one quick way to remove the string is to partially break off one end, catch the string and pull. But sometimes the effort takes a second try on the other end!

Can you eat the whole sugar snap peas raw?
Yes! Sugar snap peas are delicious either raw or cooked, whole pods or shelled. I particularly love slicing whole, raw pods into green salads. They add a lovely crunch and astringent zing to any spring salad.

Sugar snap peas are one of my favorite spring crops, and they always help kick off the summer salad season with their sweet, crisp pods sprinkled into salads. Plus, I love the wall of edible greens along my deck.

Snap peas are easy to grow, and their fast and substantial harvest is a happy way to say adios to winter.