What is the best month to sow peas?

Peas prefer cool climates, are long-day crops, and are sensitive to high temperatures. In the Yangtze River Basin, edible peas are usually cultivated over the winter, that is, they are sown in autumn and harvested in the autumn of the following year. In mountainous areas and northern China, edible peas are mostly planted in spring and harvested in summer. Let’s learn below: Which month is the best for sowing peas?

What is the best month to sow peas?

Overwintering cultivation: Overwintering cultivation is the main planting method in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It often utilizes land that is idle in winter, especially cotton fields after cotton harvest. This not only uses cotton stalks as natural support, but also increases income and maintains the land. Overwintering crops are usually sown in late October to mid-November, the plants overwinter in the open field, and are harvested in April to May of the following year. If sowing is too early, the plants will grow too fast before winter and may be damaged by cold waves; if sowing is too late, the root system of the plants will not develop sufficiently before winter, resulting in delayed growth and spreading in spring, affecting yield.

Spring cultivation: In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the sowing time for spring cultivation is from late February to early March, so as to complete the harvest before the arrival of the high temperature season. Spring cultivation in the Northeast region is harvested in summer, and sowing is generally carried out from April to May. Depending on the needs, sowing can be done in advance using a small shed or mulching. The growing period of spring cultivation is shorter, with lower temperatures in the early stages and higher temperatures in the later stages. Therefore, varieties with short growth cycles and are cold-resistant should be selected, such as red-flowered silk peas and sweet snap peas, and they should be sown as early as possible.

Autumn cultivation: It is suitable to choose early-maturing varieties for autumn cultivation, and the sowing time is in early September to ensure that the harvest is completed before the cold wave arrives in late November. The growing season for autumn cultivation is also short. The growing season can be extended by raising seedlings in advance in a shade shed in summer and covering them with plastic film in winter.

Pea Planting Conditions

Temperature: Peas are highly adaptable to temperature, but the most suitable growth temperature is 9℃ to 23℃. The starting temperature for seed germination is relatively low, ranging from 1°C to 2°C for round-grain seeds and 3°C to 5°C for wrinkled-grain seeds. The seedlings can withstand temperatures as low as -4°C to -5°C, but if they encounter high temperatures during the flowering period, it may cause flowers and pods to fall off, affecting growth. If the temperature is high during the harvest period, the growing period will be shortened and the quality and yield may be reduced.

Light: Peas are long-day crops, and the conditions for flower bud differentiation can be met under long daylight and low temperature conditions. The winter daylight is relatively short in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, so most of the cultivated varieties used in production are neutral varieties.

Water: Peas have a moderate demand for water and the soil needs to be kept moist, but not too wet to avoid causing diseases.

Soil: Peas are not very demanding on soil, but it is best to choose well-drained, fertile soil. The ideal soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.5.

The above is an introduction to the planting time of peas. The planting time of peas mainly depends on the regional climate temperature and environmental conditions, which are different in each region.