Edible plant · fruiting

Shelling peas

Pisum sativum

Also known asEnglish peas · Garden peas · Sweet peas (the edible kind, not the toxic flower Lathyrus) · Petits pois

beginner cool-season hydroponic-ready aquaponic-ready continuous

Use in garden planner Calculate nutrients

Days to harvest

60–75

Yield / plant

0.2kg

Spacing

5 cm

Daily light

15–25DLI

Environment

The bounded range this crop tolerates.

Temperature

5152535

5–22°C

45.578.5

6–7

EC (hydro)

01234

1.4–2 mS/cm

Daily light

5152535

15–25 mol/m²/d

✓Continuous harvest

Climate and zones

USDA zones: 2–9 (winter low around -46°C)
Frost: frost hardy
Season: cool (spring/fall)

✓Outdoor year-round (in zone)

✓Outdoor in growing season

✓Unheated greenhouse / hoop

·Heated greenhouse

·Indoor (heated home)

·Indoor hydroponics + grow lights

Growing systems

Root mass: moderate.

·Deep water culture (rafts)

·NFT channels

·Vertical / aeroponic tower

✓Drip / Dutch buckets

✓Media bed (ebb and flow)

·Wicking bed

✓Soil bed

Growing media

Medium	pH effect	Retention	Bacterial surface
Coco coir (Coconut coir)	slightly acidic	high	moderate
Perlite (Expanded volcanic glass)	neutral / inert	very low	low
Soil-based mix (Potting soil)	varies	high	high

Nutrient demand by stage

NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.

Stage	N	P	K	EC (mS/cm)
seedling	1	1	1	1
vegetative	1	2	2	1.6
flowering	1	2	2	1.8
fruiting	1	2	2	1.8

Aquaponics suitability

Compatible

Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth. Supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.

Care notes

A cool-season legume for hydroponic media beds or container systems with a trellis. EC 1.4-2.0 mS/cm. pH 6.0-7.0. Temperature: 10–22°C (cool-season; heat above 25°C reduces yield and sweetness). Moderate light (DLI 15-25 mol/m2/day). Provide a trellis or netting for climbing varieties (60–180 cm depending on type). From seed to harvest: 60-75 days. Harvest when the pods are plump and bright green but before the peas inside turn starchy (taste one to check); the window of peak sweetness is only 3-5 days before the peas toughen. Shell immediately after picking and eat, freeze or cook within hours for best quality. Each plant gives moderate yields, so a large planting is needed for a meaningful fresh harvest, and the labour of shelling is the main barrier; even so, homegrown fresh peas are far better than frozen.

Notable varieties

Cultivar	Type	Origin	Days	Notes
Lincoln	heirloom		65	1908 American heirloom, the classic shelling pea. Bush type, 75 cm tall, productive, heat-tolerant for a pea. The home garden standard.
Green Arrow	open pollinated		70	1973 British variety. Long pods, 9-11 peas per pod (high count for the size). Disease-resistant. Productive.
Wando	open pollinated	USDA, 1943	70	Heat-tolerant; sets pods in temperatures that shut down other varieties. The variety to grow for late-spring planting in zones 6-7.
Snow Peas (Oregon Sugar Pod II)	open pollinated		65	Snow pea variety, flat pods eaten whole before peas develop. Listed here for cross-reference; technically the same species as shelling peas, different cultivar group.