Cool-season produce

Snow pea

Pisum sativum var. saccharatum

Also known as Chinese pea pod · Mange tout

Pick flat edible pods before seeds swell. Do not confuse with shelling peas or the thick, crisp pods of snap peas.

EdibleCool-season cropNitrogen fixer

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyFabaceae (legume)

Life cycleAnnual crop

Phoenix planting windowSeptember–February, favoring October–January.

How to plantDirect sow beside a trellis for climbing varieties.

Plant spacing2–3 in

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestVariety-dependent; the local pea calendar spans roughly 60–150 days by sowing date

SuccessionSow every 3–4 weeks until midwinter.

Special categoriesEDIBLE · NITROGEN FIXING

Typical harvestPick young pods repeatedly through cool weather.

Right plant, right place

Will Snow pea grow at your Arizona property?

Pick flat edible pods before seeds swell. Do not confuse with shelling peas or the thick, crisp pods of snap peas.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.