How to grow sugar snap peas in a raised bed

Sugar snap peas are the best of both worlds — a plump, sweet pea inside an edible, crunchy pod you eat whole. Few crops are as moreish straight from the vine.

Quick facts

• Position: full sun
• Spacing: 5–8 cm apart
• Tub depth: our 23 cm or 35 cm depth
• Time to harvest: 9–12 weeks
• Support: a trellis for climbing types

When to plant: Like all peas they love the cool — sow autumn through late winter, or early spring in cold areas. Sow directly. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.

Growing them in a raised bed: Sow into the mix and give climbing types a trellis. Legumes need little feeding — too much nitrogen gives leaf at the expense of pods.

Watering and feeding: Keep the mix evenly moist through flowering and podding; water the soil in the morning.

Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars and thrips. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.

Common diseases: the main ones are powdery mildew and downy mildew. Good airflow, morning watering and steady moisture prevent most.

Companion plants: Carrots and beans make good neighbours; keep peas away from the onion family. See our companion planting guide.

Harvest and storage: Pick when the pods are plump and the peas well-formed but still tender — snap one and taste to judge. They're sweetest eaten straight away.

More growing guides: peas, snow peas and beans.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons.