💮 When to Plant Sweet Peas

🌸 Flower
Cool Season

Sow as early as possible; need cool weather. Soak seeds overnight

📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone

Select your zone to highlight your exact planting dates. Dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates.

Find my zone
Zone Last Frost Start Indoors Transplant Direct Sow
Zone 2A May 30 Apr 4 May 2 Apr 18
Zone 3B May 15 Mar 20 Apr 17 Apr 3
Zone 4A May 8 Mar 13 Apr 10 Mar 27
Zone 4B May 1 Mar 6 Apr 3 Mar 20
Zone 5A Apr 25 Feb 28 Mar 28 Mar 14
Zone 5B Apr 18 Feb 21 Mar 21 Mar 7
Zone 6A Apr 21 Feb 24 Mar 24 Mar 10
Zone 6B Apr 10 Feb 13 Mar 13 Feb 27
Zone 7A Apr 5 Feb 8 Mar 8 Feb 22
Zone 7B Mar 28 Jan 31 Feb 28 Feb 14
Zone 8A Mar 20 Jan 23 Feb 20 Feb 6
Zone 8B Mar 12 Jan 15 Feb 12 Jan 29
Zone 9A Feb 28 Jan 3 Jan 31 Jan 17
Zone 9B Feb 15 Dec 21 Jan 18 Jan 4
Zone 10A Feb 1 Dec 7 Jan 4 Dec 21
Zone 10B Jan 15 Nov 20 Dec 18 Dec 4
Zone 11A Jan 1 Nov 6 Dec 4 Nov 20

Sweet peas are fragrant climbing flowers that bloom in cool weather — a cottage garden essential.

Top Growing Tips

  • Soak seeds overnight before planting for faster germination
  • Plant very early spring (or fall in mild climates) — they love cool weather
  • Provide a trellis or netting — they climb 6-8 feet
  • Cut flowers daily to keep plants blooming
  • NOT edible — sweet peas are toxic if ingested (unlike garden peas)

Companion Planting

Good companions: other cool-season flowers, beans (share trellises)

Avoid planting near: none — but keep separate from edible peas to avoid confusion

Harvest Timeline

Flowering in 50-65 days from seed; pick daily for longest bloom season