1. That day fit my life and brought me joy. It was the first good weather in weeks, the garden bed was ready, and my preschooler was excited about planting peas together in the garden. How could we not?

2. I’ve observed enough to know the pea trellis is one of the sunnier and better protected spots in our garden, so I’m optimistic they will succeed there.

3. I work in many gardens and like to use my own as a laboratory for pushing limits and trying new things.

4. I already plan to plant more later. My family loves peas and they’re hard to get elsewhere, so we grow several successions of different varieties.

[An update on my peas: the Magnolia Blossom snap peas we snowed March 15th did started germinating as of 3/28/2026.]

If your plan calls for planting peas only once (which totally makes sense if you have less time, space, or desire for peas in your garden) wait until mid April!

March peas grow more slowly than April peas, even in a high tunnel. Earlier planting makes them more vulnerable to damage and won’t result in proportionately earlier yields.

Starting peas indoors to transplant is an option. One I don’t have enough experience with to write about, but want to mention for anyone interested in trying.

Any way you do it, the window for planting peas extends all the way through April. Maybe longer if your garden is in a cool microclimate that will stay that way well into the summer. Peas stop producing when temperatures rise above 75°F, no matter how big and healthy the plants are.

The same advice applies to other cool season crops, like spinach and carrots. You can start planting as soon as the soil is workable. Your plants will likely be more successful sown later or transplanted, but don’t wait so long that they won’t mature before summer’s heat.