When to plant peas in zone 3b
In zone 3b, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 17, sow outdoors April 5 to 19. For a fall crop, plant July 2 to 16.
The zone 3b schedule for peas
- Sow outdoors
- April 5 to 19
- First harvest, roughly
- June 4 to 28
- Plant for a fall crop
- July 2 to 16
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 200 ZIP codes in zone 3b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for peas.
Dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work: a squeezed handful crumbles instead of sticking. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.
Frost risk in zone 3b
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 3b, the typical last frost ranges from about May 12 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 29 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 13 to October 1. For a typical place in the zone:
- May 4Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 17Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 30Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10
Your dates for peas
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant peas where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
How to grow peasAll zonesPeas in zone 3aPeas in zone 4aAbout zone 3b
Sources
- How to Grow Peas in Your Garden · Utah State University Extension
- Growing Green Peas in a Home Garden · University of Maryland Extension
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP103/VH021) · University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- GN 154: Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination (Harrington emergence table) · UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County (UC ANR)
- The Fall Vegetable Garden (HO-66-W) · Purdue University Extension
- Fall Vegetable Gardening (SPES-801) · Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Growing Vegetables in Containers · University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
- Easy Container Vegetables and How to Grow Them · NC State Extension, Onslow County