When to Plant Snow Peas in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Sow July to November. Right now in September you can sow.
Also called mangetout, sugar snap peas.
Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Snow 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.
Snow peas (mangetout, sugar peas, Chinese peas) are a cool-season legume grown for flat, edible pods eaten before peas develop. Like garden peas, fundamentally cool-season crops that fail in heat. Higher edible yield per plant than shelling peas since the entire pod is eaten.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | S | S/T/D | S/T/D | 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 Snow Peas in Cold / Highland Australia
When to Plant
August to November after last frost.
- Soil
- Well-drained, moderately fertile. Do not over-enrich with nitrogen.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun to light shade.
- Spacing
- 8cm apart, 60cm between rows
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist especially during flowering and pod production. Water at base.
Companion plants: Carrot, Turnip, Radish, Lettuce
Avoid planting near: Onion, Garlic, Shallot
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Snow Peas
Recommended Varieties
- Oregon Giant
- Mammoth Melting
Key Challenges
- Late frost
- Short season
Pro Tips
- Good zone once frost passes
- Cloches for early plantings
- Spring crops produce into December
Harvesting Snow Peas
When ready: Pods flat, translucent green, peas inside barely visible. Snap crisply.
How to harvest: Pick with two hands. Hold stem, snap pod. Pick every 2 days minimum.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 26 plants, about $105 worth at today’s Aldi, Coles and Woolworths prices, checked today.
That is roughly 5 kg at $20.22 a kilo.
Draw your snow peas bed → No account needed.
Common Snow Peas Pests in Cold / Highland Zones
Organic prevention: Avoid excess nitrogen.
Where to next
Supermarket Price
Current average retail: $20.22/kg (12-month range: $11.96–$27.60)
Grow your own and save on grocery bills.
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Open the planting dashboard Join Garden BuddyCommon Questions About Snow Peas
When do you plant snow peas in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Mar to Sep
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jul to Nov
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Apr to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to Sep
Does snow 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.
What else is snow peas called?
Snow peas is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it mangetout, sugar snap peas. Same plant, same growing advice.
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.