When to plant peas in Durham
Peas is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Durham's frost dates of Apr 2.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Feb 26 – Mar 19
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 22 – May 7
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 2 – Aug 16
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 3 – Oct 18
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
55 – 70 d
Durham's 218-day season leaves this much room.
Peas on Durham'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 2
NOV 1
Common questions
When can I sow peas outdoors in Durham?
Direct-sow around late February (Feb 26–Mar 19) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 83%.
When will peas be ready to harvest in Durham?
Expect to harvest from around late April (Apr 22–May 7) in Durham, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
Can I plant peas in autumn in Durham?
Yes — Durham supports a second, autumn sowing of peas around early August (Aug 2–Aug 16), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Durham?
Durham has roughly 218 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 Durham's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.