When to Plant Peas (Garden/Shelling) in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide

Sow March to October. 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 Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Peas (Garden/Shelling)

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 Cool Temperate

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - S S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D T - -

S = Seed Tray   T = Transplant   D = Direct Sow

Want a nudge when it is Peas (Garden/Shelling) sowing time in Melbourne?

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Current Growing Conditions

Soil temperature: 13.1°C (optimal range: 8–24°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.

How to Grow Peas (Garden/Shelling) in Cool Temperate Australia

When to Plant

March to September. Long season suits peas perfectly. This is pea country.

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

Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Peas (Garden/Shelling)

Recommended Varieties

  • Greenfeast
  • Telephone
  • Alderman
  • Early Onward
  • Purple Podded

Key Challenges

  • Waterlogged soil in winter
  • Downy mildew in wet periods
  • Late frost can damage flowers

Pro Tips

  • This is the ideal Australian zone for peas
  • Raised beds help with winter drainage
  • Succession sow for 4-5 months of continuous harvest

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

What peas costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the cool temperate zone this September: Ginger, Sweet Corn, Chilli Peppers and Snow Peas.

The pest most likely to find your peas: Botrytis / Grey Mould.

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Common 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:

Does peas grow all year round in Melbourne?

No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Mar to Oct. 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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.