When to Plant Peas in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Peas 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.
- Planting window
- Mar to Sep
- 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 Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul D
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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How to Grow Peas in Cool Temperate 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.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Peas
Recommended Varieties
- Greenfeast
- Telephone
- Alderman
- Early Onward
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
Pests and problems for Peas in Cool Temperate
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 Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Mar to Sep. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Peas in Melbourne?
Sow direct from autumn through to early spring. Late spring sowings run into heat and powdery 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 Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Greenfeast, Telephone, Alderman, Early Onward.
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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.