Growing Great Peas and Beans: Checklist

Sun: 6 to 8 hours.

Timing: peas like it cool in early spring, and beans need warm soil and are very sensitive to frost.  Sow peas as soon as soil can be worked in spring. Sow beans after last frost, once soil is at least 60°F (16°C).

Soil: well-drained, pH 6.0 to 7.5.

Spacing: peas 2 inches apart; bush beans 3 to 4 inches; pole beans 6 inches.

Water: about 1 inch a week, at the soil, especially during flowering and pod fill.

Feed: they make their own nitrogen. Skip the nitrogen fertilizer or you'll get leaves, not pods.

Support: trellis peas and pole beans at planting.

Hands off when wet: working among wet bean plants spreads disease. Wait until leaves dry.

Harvest: pick often. Pods left to mature tell the plant to stop producing.
Rotate: 3 years.