When to Plant Peas for a Fall Crop in Missouri

Pea Cold Tolerance

• Peas need coolness and humidity to thrive and most varieties of peas are ready for harvest 60 to 70 days after sowing. However, bush varieties, like "Sugar Ann" and "Sugar Lace" provide both shelling peas and edible pods while harvest-ready in 52 days. Since these peas have a have an earlier production period, they are more likely to mature before a killing frost arrives in the fall. Bush varieties do not need support, like pole beans.

How to Plant

• Peas require a location that shelters them from the heat of the afternoon sun. Peas must have time to mature before the air temperatures rise above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For bush pea varieties space plants 4 inches apart and leave 18 to 24 inches between rows. Peas can also be grown in a container that is at least 8 inches deep and placed on a patio or porch that receives part-day sun.

Care

• Caring for late-summer-grown peas is the same as for spring crops. While bush varieties do not require support, they are easier to harvest if grown on a trellis. Peas require even moisture and the soil should never be allowed to dry out. Plants can benefit from a side-dressing of aged compost midway through the growing season. Peas are susceptible to certain diseases, such as wilt, rot, blight and mildew. To reduce the risk of disease do not use an overhead watering system and refrain from handling plants when they are wet.

Harvest

• Pick pea pods before they become too large. Begin harvesting pods once they reach 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long. Pick shelling peas before pods harden to enjoy tender, sweet peas. The sugar that give peas their sweet flavor quickly turns to starch after harvest; however, you can slow the process by placing pods in the refrigerator after picking and not shelling peas until you are ready to cook them. Peas grown later in the season can withstand a light frost, so do not rush to harvest them if the weather turns a little cool.