When to Plant Peas in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Peas 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.
- Planting window
- Mar to Oct
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 8 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
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.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May S/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul T/D
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Peas in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Do not over-enrich. Peas fix their own nitrogen.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- 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.
- Good companions
- Cucumber, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Radish, Spinach
- Keep away from
- Chickpeas, Chives, Leek (Listed as a bad companion for leeks; no reason is given.), Onion, Spring onion (Gardenate lists peas as a plant to avoid growing close to spring onions.), Tree Onion
- Grow before it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
- Grow after it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
Give the bed 3 turns before legumes go back in. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, so they leave the bed richer than they found it.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Peas
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
Pests and problems for Peas in Cold / Highland
- Powdery Mildew Choose resistant varieties (e.g., Greenfeast). Good air circulation. Avoid late-season plantings in warm zones. Moderate
- Downy Mildew Watch
- Fusarium Wilt 3-4 year crop rotation. Maintain soil pH 6.5+. Use resistant varieties. Improve drainage. Watch
Organic prevention (Powdery Mildew): Choose resistant varieties (e.g., Greenfeast). Good air circulation. Avoid late-season plantings in warm zones.
Harvesting Peas
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.
Storing and preserving peas
How to keep it
- Freezing. Shell peas. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, ice bath, drain well. Freeze in single layer on tray, then bag. Best preservation method for peas. Keeps: 12 months.
- Drying. Shell mature peas. Spread on mesh trays. Dehydrate at 55C for 8-10 hours until completely hard. Store in airtight jars. Keeps: 2+ years.
Canning safety. Low-acid vegetables like peas must be pressure canned, never water-bath canned.
What peas costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Peas
When do you plant peas in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): May to Jun
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Mar to Oct
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Jun
- Mediterranean (Perth): Apr to Sep
Can you grow peas all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Mar to Oct. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Peas in Canberra?
Sow from March to October, or plant out seedlings in June and July. Heavy frost can stop flowers setting, and late sowings run into heat and mildew.
What soil temperature do Peas need?
Peas germinate best when soil temperature is between 8°C and 24°C.
How do I know when Peas are ready to harvest?
Pods plump and well-filled but still bright green. Peas inside should be round but not starchy. Test by eating one, should be sweet.
What are the best Peas varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Greenfeast, Alderman, Early Onward, Telephone.
What grows well with Peas?
Good companion plants for Peas include: Cucumber, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Radish, Spinach.
Are peas salt tolerant?
Only a little. Peas are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it 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.