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How to grow sugar snap and snow peas

Frost-hardy · Legume family

When to sow and plant

  • Sow outdoors 22 March – 5 April

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Sow outdoors: 2–4 weeks before the last frost (Colorado State University Extension, GardenNotes #720: Vegetable Planting Guide)

Good and bad neighbours

Good neighbours · 1

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 3

  • CarrotLore: good· D

    Traditional advice, not tested.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Carrot

  • Bush beanLore: bad· D

    Traditionally seen as bad neighbours; no proven reason.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Bush bean

  • GarlicLore: bad· D

    Traditionally seen as bad neighbours; no proven reason.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Garlic

Crop rotation

After the legume family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years).

  • Peas: a 6-year break because of fusarium wilt (sources: 5–7 years).
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2033.

At a glance

Family
Legume family (Fabaceae)
Frost
Hardy, tolerates frost
Spacing (row × plant)
46 × 3–8 cm (18 × 1–3 in)
Plants per m²
72.5
Per square foot (30 × 30 cm)
8 plants
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 50–70 days from sowing

Questions and answers

When can I sow sugar snap and snow peas?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 22 March – 5 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant sugar snap and snow peas?

46 × 3–8 cm (18 × 1–3 in) (row × plant), according to University of Maryland Extension: Growing Green Peas in a Home Garden.

What grows well next to sugar snap and snow peas?

White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Pak choi: Good neighbour (C), Carrot: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D), Bush bean: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D) and Garlic: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D).

How long a break do sugar snap and snow peas need in the same bed?

After the legume family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years). Peas: a 6-year break because of fusarium wilt (sources: 5–7 years).

More from the legume family

Sources

Show 10 sources
  1. Colorado State University Extension, GardenNotes #720: Vegetable Planting Guide
  2. University of Maryland Extension: Growing Green Peas in a Home Garden
  3. NYC Parks GreenThumb: Square Foot Gardening (Growing Veggies in NYC Training)
  4. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  5. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  6. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  7. Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
  8. RHS: Growing Your Own – The three sisters
  9. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  10. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.