How to grow sugar snap peas
Find out how to grow a delicious crop of sugar-snap peas, in our practical guide.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
At its best | yes | yes | yes | |||||||||
To do | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Sugar snap peas, also known as sugar peas and snow peas, score top marks for taste and texture. As with so many crops, home-grown sugar snap peas are much sweeter and juicier than anything you can buy in a shop. Growing sugar snap peas in containers is easy as long as the pots are large and you water and feed the peas regularly. A fairly sheltered spot in full or part sun will suit them best. It's a good idea to make several sowings at two or three week intervals, to increase the potential harvesting period.
You Will Need
- Sugar snap pea seeds
- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
- Small pots
- Canes
- Chicken wire
Step 1
For early crops, sow sugar snap pea seeds indoors in March in pots or cells. Transplant into the garden when the seedlings are about 12-15cm high. This helps reduce damage from slugs, snails and pigeons.
Step 2
When weather is warmer, sow every two to three weeks directly into well-prepared soil, 5cm deep. A flat trench, dug in a line or a circle, works well.
Step 3
Where space is at a premium, growing sugar snap pea plants in a circle allows them to be trained up a tepee of cane and chicken wire mesh. The mesh keeps young plants close to the supports, making it easier for them to climb, and keeps the pigeons away.
Step 4
Sugar snap peas become stringy and tough if left too long, so pick as soon as they start to plump up and make a satisfying snap when bent. Hold the stem as you remove each pod to reduce the risk of damage to the plant.
Christmas offer
Gift a subscription to BBC Gardeners' World magazine and save 51% on the shop price.
Year Planner 2025 on sale
Starting to plan your gardening year? The Year Planner 2025 is packed with expert advice from the Gardeners’ World team, to ensure you have your best gardening year yet.
Plant of the Week: Camellia ‘Yuletide’
New podcast series
Join Monty and the team for advice on winter gardening, tulips, caring for birds, house plants and more in the new BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast series.