How to grow peas in a greenhouse? When to plant and how to care for them?

Do you want to harvest sweet, juicy peas from your own greenhouse in the spring, without waiting for summer? Are you afraid of late frosts, unstable weather and unsuccessful plantings of previous years? Or are you not sure whether it is possible to grow peas under cover at all, and whether it will be useful?

Many gardeners consider peas to be a “simple crop”, but they encounter problems: poorly sprouts, withers, does not bloom, is covered with empty pods. The reason is often not in the variety, but in the conditions. Temperature, humidity, ventilation, even choosing a greenhouse design — everything plays a role. And if you take everything into account, peas in a greenhouse can surprise even experienced gardeners with their yield.

In this article, we will lay everything out in its proper place:

• When and how to plant peas in a greenhouse?
  
• How is care different from open ground?
  
• Which greenhouse gives the best results - arched, straight-walled, film or polycarbonate?
  
• How to avoid diseases and harvest not one, but two crops per season?

A must read if you want not just plant peas, but grow them with pleasure and a guaranteed result.

Why is it worth growing peas in a greenhouse?

Growing peas in a greenhouse is a method:

• get early harvest already at the end of spring;
  
• protect plantings from temperature changes, spring frosts, hail and pests;
  
• extend the growing season, which is especially important in regions with short summers;
  
• to provide stable conditions for growth and flowering, which has a positive effect on crop yields.
  

Besides, Peas are an excellent crop rotation partner, as it enriches the soil with nitrogen, improving its structure for subsequent crops.

Which greenhouse is better for peas: comparison of designs

1. Arched greenhouse

• Pros: excellent resistance to snow and wind loads, uniform light distribution.
  
• Cons: limited height on the sides - important when growing tall varieties.
  
• Recommendation: well suited for early spring planting of peas.
  

2. Straight-walled greenhouse

• Pros: maximum use of vertical space, convenient for tying and care.
  
• Cons: less resistant to wind without a reinforced frame.
  
• Recommendation: optimal for tall and productive varieties of peas, especially in the spring-summer cycle.
  

3. Polycarbonate greenhouse

• Pros: good thermal insulation, diffused light, durability.
  
• Cons: higher cost, requires high-quality installation.
  
• Recommendation: the best choice for stable results and minimal heat loss.
  

4. Film greenhouse

• Pros: budget option, easy to dismantle.
  
• Cons: poor thermal insulation, susceptible to tearing.
  
• Recommendation: suitable for temporary or summer cultivation in southern regions.
  

When to plant peas in a greenhouse?

Peas are one of the few crops that tolerate early planting in closed ground very well. This is a cold-resistant plant that begins to germinate already at +5…+8 °C, and gives confident shoots at a soil temperature of +10 °C. The main thing is to correctly assess the microclimate of the greenhouse and choose the right time depending on its type.

Optimal timing for sowing peas in different types of greenhouses

Type of greenhouse	Temperature conditions	Recommended sowing time	Peculiarities
Heated (with heating)	+12…+18 °C and higher is maintained	With end of February - beginning of March	An early harvest is possible as early as May, but requires heating costs.
Polycarbonate (unheated)	warmed by the sun, without heating	With March 15–25, in the southern regions - earlier	Good thermal insulation allows you to start sowing 2-3 weeks earlier than in open ground.
Film (with temporary cover)	does not retain heat well, depends on the weather	With April 10–20, at soil temperature not below +10 °C	Suitable only for spring and summer cycles; highly dependent on weather conditions.

Advice from “Nova Teplitsa”: Before sowing, be sure to measure the soil temperature at a depth of 5-7 cm using an agrothermometer. It should be minimum +10 °C during the day for 3-5 days in a row - this guarantees good germination and reduces the risk of seed rotting.

Seed Preparation: An Important Step Before Planting

High-quality pre-sowing treatment is the key to friendly and fast germination. Peas, although hardy, may not germinate well if the seeds are dry, old or infected.

Soak:

• Duration: 12–18 hours.
  
• Water temperature: +25…+30 °C.
  
• You can use growth stimulants:
  
  • Epin-extra (1-2 drops per 100 ml of water),
    
  • Zircon (1 ml per 1 l of water),
    
  • or biological products: Gumi, Baikal EM1.
    

Etching (optional):

• To prevent fungal diseases, treat the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate (1%) for 20–30 minutes.
  
• Then rinse in clean water and dry slightly before sowing.
  

Germination (optional):

• After soaking, you can wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and leave for 1-2 days until they sprout.
  
• This will speed up the emergence of seedlings by 3-4 days, especially in a cool greenhouse.
  

Depth and planting pattern

• Seed planting depth: 3–5 cm (depending on soil density and moisture).
  
• Between plants in a row: 8–10 cm.
  
• Row spacing: 25–30 cm.
  
• Per 1 m² can be planted around 40-50 plants without thickening.
  

Advice: When sowing early in cold soil, make furrows deeper and then mulch with peat or humus - this will help retain heat and moisture.

How to speed up soil warming in a greenhouse?

If you want to start sowing earlier, but the soil has not yet warmed up enough, use the following methods:

• Cover the beds black film or agrofibre 5–7 days before sowing – the material accumulates heat.
  
• Use organic biofuel: add manure or compost to a depth of 20 cm and cover with film - biofermentation will begin with the release of heat.
  
• Install local heating (heaters, cable heating, IR heaters) in heated greenhouses - especially effective when the temperature drops at night.
  

Caring for peas in a greenhouse: basic rules

Watering

• Before flowering - moderate, once every 5-7 days.
  
• During flowering and bean filling - abundantly, 1-2 times a week.
  
• It is important to avoid overwatering, as this can lead to rot and disease.
  

Temperature conditions

• Optimal: during the day +18…+24 °C, at night not lower than +8 °C.
  
• At temperatures above +30 °C, growth and pod formation deteriorate - ventilation and shading are needed.
  

Lighting

• Peas like light, but diffused. In bright summer sun, it is advisable to use a shading net.
  

Top dressing

• At the 4–5 leaf stage: nitrogen-containing (for example, herbal infusion or ammonium nitrate).
  
• During the budding period: phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
  
• After the first harvest, you can apply foliar feeding with boron and magnesium to prolong fruiting.
  

Prevention of diseases and pests

• Ventilate the greenhouse regularly.
  
• Remove weeds and thickets.
  
• At the first signs of aphids or powdery mildew, treat with biofungicides (Fitosporin, Planriz) or infusions of garlic and tobacco.
  

Harvest and replanting

Greenhouse peas usually ripen 55–65 days after germination. Harvesting is done in several stages as the pods ripen.

Advice from “Nova Teplitsa”: If you planted an early variety in March, then in June, after harvesting, you can plant a second wave - either peas again or another crop (cucumbers, salads, radishes).

Useful tips from the experts of Nova Teplitsa

• Use a variety of peas with increased resistance to diseases, especially for indoor cultivation (For example: "Oscar", "Aksai", "Senator").
  
• After harvesting, don't throw away the stems - chop them up and use them as organic fertilizer.
  
• If the greenhouse is equipped with an automatic watering system or drip irrigation, this will increase the yield and simplify maintenance.
  

Growing peas in a greenhouse

Growing peas in a greenhouse is not only a way to provide your family with fresh and healthy pods in early spring, but also a chance to use greenhouse space as efficiently as possible. The main thing is to choose the right greenhouse, keep to the deadlines, and care for the plants with love and expertise.

Company "Nova Teplitsa" offers greenhouses made of polycarbonate and metal structures, ideal for growing not only peas, but also dozens of other vegetable crops. Contact our consultants, to select a greenhouse that will delight you with its harvest for many years.