Grow Guide: Growing Snow Peas in Your Urban Garden

If you’re after instant gratification in the veggie patch, snow peas are your plant. They’re quick to sprout, fast to climb, and generous with their harvests – all while looking charmingly delicate on their trellis.

They’re also one of those crops that seem to thrive on neglect. Forget to water for a few days? They’ll forgive you. Cold snap? They’ll shrug it off. The only real risk is turning your back for too long – they’ll suddenly explode with pods overnight, and you’ll be out there picking every morning with a coffee in one hand and a colander in the other (which doesn’t sound terrible, admittedly).

🕰️Best Time to Plant

Autumn to early spring (March–August in Melbourne).
Snow peas love cool weather — they’ll sulk in summer heat but thrive in the chill.
In late winter, sow directly once the risk of heavy frost has passed

📍Where to Plant

Full sun to light shade: At least 5–6 hours a day.
Well-draining soil: They dislike soggy feet. Mix compost and a handful of blood and bone before sowing.
Vertical space: Give them a trellis, bamboo teepee, or wire fence to climb – they can reach 1.5–2 metres high.

They’re perfect for growing against a fence, balcony rail, or simple trellis – anywhere they can climb and show off a bit.

🧑‍🌾How to Grow

Sow direct: Peas hate being transplanted, so pop the seeds straight into the soil about 2–3 cm deep and 5 cm apart.
Give them a climb: Install a trellis, string, or bamboo frame before sowing – they’ll need support almost immediately.
Soil prep: Before planting, mix through a generous layer of compost or worm castings.
Succession sow: For a steady supply, plant a new batch every 3–4 weeks through the cool season.
They usually germinate within 7–10 days, which is deeply satisfying if you’re the impatient type (like me).

💧Watering & Feeding

Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
Mulch around the base to hold moisture and keep the roots cool.
Once the plants start flowering, feed every 2–3 weeks with a light liquid fertiliser – seaweed or compost tea is perfect.
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers (they’ll go wild with leaves and forget to make pods).

🍽️Harvesting

You’ll usually start picking pods about 8–10 weeks after planting.

Harvest when pods are flat but full-sized, before the peas inside swell. I use my index finger as a guide!
Pick regularly – the more you harvest, the more they produce.
Handle gently; the vines are delicate.

They’re at their sweetest straight off the plant – and yes, it’s completely normal to eat half your harvest while “checking for readiness.”

😱Common Problems (and Fixes)

Yellowing leaves: Usually from overwatering or poor drainage – let the soil dry out a little between drinks.
Powdery mildew: Common late in the season. Improve airflow and spray with a 1:9 mix of milk and water.
No flowers or pods: Could be too warm or too much nitrogen. Cooler weather and restraint on the fertiliser will fix it.
Slugs and snails: Public enemy number one. Try crushed eggshells, beer traps, or copper tape.

👋Best Companion Plants:

Snow peas are sociable growers and get along well with:

Carrots, radishes, turnips, and lettuce → they enjoy the nitrogen peas fix in the soil.
Spinach → grows nicely in the shade beneath the trellis.
Calendula → attracts pollinators and brightens the patch.

💡My Urban Patch Take

There’s something deeply satisfying about snow peas. They make the garden feel alive – climbing, curling, and flowering with a kind of optimistic energy that’s contagious.

I love how they turn a dull fence into a living green wall, and how I can never seem to harvest them without Odie sneaking one or two. They’re the perfect veggie for small spaces, busy lives, and gardeners who want to see results fast.

If you’re only going to plant one cool-weather crop this season, make it snow peas – they’ll reward you handsomely and keep your salads (and snacks) endlessly fresh.

(Need a little refresher before getting started on your snow pea journey? Check out my Urban Garden Beginner’s Guide: 4 Essentials to Get Growing Fast)

The Urban Patch

🌿Snow Peas