When to plant peas in Chesapeake
Peas is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chesapeake's frost dates of Mar 18.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Feb 11 – Mar 4
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 7 – Apr 22
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 19 – Sep 2
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 20 – Nov 4
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
55 – 70 d
Chesapeake's 248-day season leaves this much room.
Peas on Chesapeake's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAR 18
NOV 18
Common questions
When can I sow peas outdoors in Chesapeake?
Direct-sow around mid February (Feb 11–Mar 4) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will peas be ready to harvest in Chesapeake?
Expect to harvest from around early April (Apr 7–Apr 22) in Chesapeake, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant peas in autumn in Chesapeake?
Yes — Chesapeake supports a second, autumn sowing of peas around mid August (Aug 19–Sep 2), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake has roughly 248 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow peas to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow peas as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Chesapeake's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.