🟢When to Plant Peas (2026)
Sow as soon as soil can be worked — peas love the cold.
- Type: Cool-season
- Method: Direct sow
- Days to harvest: 60
- Spacing: 2" apart
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Companions: carrot, radish, cucumber
Is Peas right for your USDA zone?
Peas is a cool-season crop, which means it thrives in the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Gardeners in zones 3a through 7b get the longest peas season — you can plant in early spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. In warmer zones (8a-10b), grow peas as a winter crop from October through February when temperatures are coolest.
Peas needs about 60 days from sowing to harvest, so any zone with at least 74frost-free days can grow it successfully. Check your zone's specific dates in the table below.
Peas planting dates by zone (2026)
| Zone | Start Indoors | Sow / Transplant | Harvest From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | — | Apr 3 | Jun 2 |
| Zone 3b | — | Apr 3 | Jun 2 |
| Zone 4a | — | Mar 29 | May 28 |
| Zone 4b | — | Mar 24 | May 23 |
| Zone 5a | — | Mar 19 | May 18 |
| Zone 5b | — | Mar 14 | May 13 |
| Zone 6a | — | Mar 9 | May 8 |
| Zone 6b | — | Mar 4 | May 3 |
| Zone 7a | — | Feb 27 | Apr 28 |
| Zone 7b | — | Feb 22 | Apr 23 |
| Zone 8a | — | Feb 11 | Apr 12 |
| Zone 8b | — | Feb 1 | Apr 2 |
| Zone 9a | — | Jan 14 | Mar 15 |
| Zone 9b | — | Dec 30 | Feb 28 |
| Zone 10a | — | Dec 20 | Feb 18 |
| Zone 10b | — | Dec 4 | Feb 2 |