Peas are a staple in most peoples kitchen- and in most gardeners gardens! I always grow a large crop during winter, as I live in subtropical south-east QLD. I eat some freshly-picked, but a large crop means I freeze plenty- enough to last me for the rest of the year.

These green pea plants are several months old but still fruiting well

I’m constantly harvesting peas throughout the winter- in fact, I’m pretty much checking my pea plants every second day, and picking a pocketful every time.

When you first start gardening, the focus is all on getting everything established, and the beginning of the growth cycle. You set up your beds, learn about soil, climate requirements, and so forth. Next, you get your plants started- sowing seed, raising and transplanting seedlings, watering regimes and maybe trellising. There’s very little information about harvesting, though- and this is all-important, given that the harvest is the whole point!

Harvesting at the right time really maximises your harvest. This, in turn, means getting the best out of your plants, which optimises the efficiency of both your plants and you.

Green peas are a great basic vegetable that many of us grow. Popular and versatile in the kitchen, they’re an easy fruiter for beginners and advanced alike. But while the plants are quite easy to grow, the fruit can be surprisingly deceptive- it’s not always obvious when you should harvest your peas. Here, we give a step-by-step guide on how to know when to pick peas.

The above pea pod is full size, but is nowhere near ready for harvest. It is flat, which means the peas have barely started developing.

The shape of the pod above indicates the development of the peas. Its ‘chubby’ shape, however, could fool you into thinking this pod is ready for harvest- when it isn’t. If you squeeze the pod it’ll ‘give’ a bit. This is a clear indication that there is still room for growth & its not ready to pick yet.

This pod, too, is not quite ready. When squeezed there was clearly room to spare inside it, so its not ready for harvest. The dark green skin of the pod also indicates immaturity.

The above pod is ready. Note the paler colour and sharper outline of the individual peas. Additionally, when squeezed, there is no ‘give’, the pod is very firm. As a pea pod matures, the skin becomes paler and thinner, until it yellows and dries out.

Upon shelling, it is clear that this pod has been picked at the right time. The peas are large, perfectly formed & coloured, and the skin has thinned somewhat but retains significant moisture to keep the peas fresh.

Above left, demonstrates the gradual ageing of a pea pod. The peas inside will still be good eating, or will freeze perfectly. While they’re a little past the ideal picking stage, I always find that I miss a few pods when I’m harvesting. If you feel you’ve left them too long, you can always keep them for seed for next season. Above right shows a pea pod that is older again. At this late stage, I keep these pods for seed. I grow peas every year and sow my plants very close together, so a bounty of pea seed never goes to waste!