When to Plant Peas (Garden/Shelling) in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow July to November. Right now in September you can sow.
Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Peas (Garden/Shelling) guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Garden peas are a cool-season legume best suited to temperate and cold Australian climates. They fix nitrogen in the soil and produce sweet, protein-rich seeds inside inedible pods. Genuinely unsuitable for tropical zones and marginal in subtropical areas except during the coolest months.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | S/T/D | S/T/D | T | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 11.2°C (optimal range: 8–24°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
How to Grow Peas (Garden/Shelling) in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
August to November (after last frost). Some autumn sowing possible in milder highland areas.
- Soil
- Well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Do not over-enrich. Peas fix their own nitrogen.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade (tolerates afternoon shade in warmer zones)
- Spacing
- 8cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist, especially during flowering and pod fill. Water at base, not overhead. Reduce watering as pods mature.
Companion plants: Carrot, Turnip, Radish, Cucumber, Corn
Avoid planting near: Onion, Garlic, Chives, Leek
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Peas (Garden/Shelling)
Recommended Varieties
- Greenfeast
- Alderman
- Early Onward
- Telephone
Key Challenges
- Late frost damage to flowers
- Short spring growing window
- Waterlogging
Pro Tips
- Peas do well here but timing around frost is critical
- Use cloches or row covers to protect early plantings from frost
- Spring-sown crops can produce into December before heat
Harvesting Peas (Garden/Shelling)
When ready: Pods plump and well-filled but still bright green. Peas inside should be round but not starchy. Test by eating one, should be sweet.
How to harvest: Hold stem with one hand, pick pod with the other to avoid uprooting plant. Harvest every 2-3 days. Pick from the bottom of the plant upward.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 26 plants, about $114 worth at today’s Coles and Woolworths prices, checked today.
That is roughly 4 kg at $29.34 a kilo.
Draw your peas (garden/shelling) bed → No account needed.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join Garden BuddyCommon Questions About Peas (Garden/Shelling)
When do you plant peas in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Oct
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Oct
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jul to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Oct
Does peas grow all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jul to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.