When to plant peas in Chicago
Peas is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Chicago's frost dates of Apr 10.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 26 – Apr 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 20 – Jun 4
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 1 – Aug 15
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 2 – Oct 17
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
55 – 70 d
Chicago's 206-day season leaves this much room.
Peas on Chicago'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
APR 10
OCT 31
Common questions
When can I sow peas outdoors in Chicago?
Direct-sow around late March (Mar 26–Apr 16) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will peas be ready to harvest in Chicago?
Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 20–Jun 4) in Chicago, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
Can I plant peas in autumn in Chicago?
Yes — Chicago supports a second, autumn sowing of peas around early August (Aug 1–Aug 15), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Chicago?
Chicago has roughly 206 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 Chicago's frost dates.
Confidence 84/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.