PlantZoneFinder

When to plant pea

Hardy · cool-season legume

Pea is a hardy, cool-season legume that matures in about 55–70 days from sowing. Sow directly in the garden direct-sow about 4–6 weeks before the last frost. Because the right calendar date depends on your local frost dates, pick your ZIP or city on the home planner to see exact pea planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.

Pea at a glance

Planning parameters — typical ranges from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Category cool-season legume
Frost tolerance Hardy
Start indoors Not usually — direct-sow
Plant out Direct-sow 4–6 wk before last frost
Days to maturity 55–70 days (from sow)
Min. soil temp 40°F
Second (fall) crop Yes — count back from first fall frost

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.

Pea planting windows by city

The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is pea across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.

Computed by counting from each location's NOAA 1991–2020 average frost dates.
Location Zone Start indoors Plant out First harvest
Adak, AK 8b — Apr 19 – May 3 Jun 13 – Jun 28
Fort Payne, AL 7b — Feb 15 – Mar 1 Apr 11 – Apr 26
Saratoga, AR 8b — Feb 12 – Feb 26 Apr 8 – Apr 23
Top-of-the-World, AZ 8a — Jan 13 – Jan 27 Mar 9 – Mar 24
Half Moon Bay, CA 10a — Jan 1 – Jan 9 Feb 25 – Mar 12
Rohnert Park, CA 9a — Jan 17 – Jan 31 Mar 13 – Mar 28
Ellicott, CO 6a — Mar 25 – Apr 8 May 19 – Jun 3
Millsboro, DE 7b — Feb 21 – Mar 7 Apr 17 – May 2
Yankeetown, FL 9b — Jan 17 – Jan 31 Mar 13 – Mar 28
Volcano, HI 11a — year-round —
Boise, ID 7a — Mar 13 – Mar 27 May 7 – May 22
Effingham, IL 6b — Mar 2 – Mar 16 Apr 26 – May 11
Indianapolis, IN 6a — Mar 10 – Mar 24 May 4 – May 19
Minneapolis, KS 6b — Mar 9 – Mar 23 May 3 – May 18
Bayou Blue, LA 9b — Jan 1 – Jan 8 Feb 25 – Mar 12
Glen Burnie, MD 8a — Feb 27 – Mar 13 Apr 23 – May 8
Elk Rapids, MI 6a — Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 13 – May 28
Dawson, MN 4b — Mar 22 – Apr 5 May 16 – May 31
Cayuga, OK 7a — Mar 4 – Mar 18 Apr 28 – May 13
Cleveland, MS 8b — Jan 31 – Feb 14 Mar 27 – Apr 11
Island Park, ID 4a — May 4 – May 18 Jun 28 – Jul 13
Hickory, NC 8a — Feb 17 – Mar 3 Apr 13 – Apr 28
Litchville, ND 4a — Mar 29 – Apr 12 May 23 – Jun 7
Plainview, NE 5b — Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 13 – May 28
Capulin, NM 5b — Apr 5 – Apr 19 May 30 – Jun 14
Gabbs, NV 6b — Mar 20 – Apr 3 May 14 – May 29
Madrid, NY 4b — Mar 18 – Apr 1 May 12 – May 27
London, OH 6a — Mar 13 – Mar 27 May 7 – May 22
Perkins, OK 7b — Feb 20 – Mar 6 Apr 16 – May 1
Shedd, OR 8b — Jan 31 – Feb 14 Mar 27 – Apr 11
Seltzer, PA 6a — Mar 5 – Mar 19 Apr 29 – May 14
Custer, SD 5a — Apr 11 – Apr 25 Jun 5 – Jun 20
Lynchburg, TN 7b — Feb 24 – Mar 10 Apr 20 – May 5
Early, TX 8a — Feb 8 – Feb 22 Apr 4 – Apr 19
Ozona, TX 8a — Feb 13 – Feb 27 Apr 9 – Apr 24
Fillmore, UT 6a — Mar 23 – Apr 6 May 17 – Jun 1
Hillsville, VA 7a — Mar 14 – Mar 28 May 8 – May 23
Green Bluff, WA 6b — Apr 10 – Apr 24 Jun 4 – Jun 19
Gordon, WI 4a — Apr 10 – Apr 24 Jun 4 – Jun 19
Elk Garden, WV 6b — Mar 19 – Apr 2 May 13 – May 28

How to time pea

Pea is a hardy cool-season legume. Hardy crops tolerate hard frost, so you can plant well before the last spring frost — often as soon as the soil can be worked. Direct-sow 4–6 wk before last frost, once the soil is at least about 40°F. It matures in roughly 55–70 days from sowing. It also works as a fall crop: count back from the first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer.

Find your own dates on the home planner, browse all crops, or read the methodology for the offsets and citations behind these windows.

Frequently asked questions

Is pea frost-tolerant?
Pea is a hardy crop. Hardy crops tolerate hard frost and can be planted well before the last spring frost — often as soon as the soil can be worked.
How long does pea take to grow?
About 55–70 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on variety and weather. Days-to-maturity ranges are typical values from U.S. Cooperative Extension planting guides.
Can I direct-sow pea?
Yes — pea is usually direct-sown rather than started indoors. Sow direct-sow about 4–6 weeks before the last frost, once the soil is at least about 40°F.
Can I grow pea as a fall crop?
Yes. Pea is commonly grown as a second, fall crop by counting back from the average first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer. The per-location pages show a fall planting window where the season allows one.