When to Plant Peas in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Peas guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- May to Jun
- 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 Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May D
- Jun D
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Peas in Tropical 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.
Tropical Growing Tips for Peas
Recommended Varieties
- Dry season only, light yields: Greenfeast
Key Challenges
- Excessive heat causes flower drop and no pod set
- Fungal diseases rampant in humidity
- No realistic growing window
Pro Tips
- Be honest: peas do not work in tropical lowlands
- If in tropical highlands (e.g., Atherton Tablelands above 600m), treat as cool-temperate zone
- Grow beans instead. They fill the same dietary niche and thrive in heat
Pests and problems for Peas in Tropical
- Downy Mildew Watch
- Powdery Mildew Choose resistant varieties (e.g., Greenfeast). Good air circulation. Avoid late-season plantings in warm zones. Watch
- Fusarium Wilt 3-4 year crop rotation. Maintain soil pH 6.5+. Use resistant varieties. Improve drainage. Watch
- Fungal diseases rampant Fungal diseases rampant in humidity Watch
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 Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are May to Jun. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Peas in Cairns?
Only worth trying in the coolest dry-season months, and yields are light. Snow peas or snake beans are more reliable.
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 Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Dry season only, light yields: Greenfeast.
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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.