Growing peas
Pisum sativum · also called MatarA cool season legume sown straight into the bed for its sweet green pods. It likes mild days, takes light frost while young and fixes its own nitrogen.
Sub-tropical foothills: Jammu, Kangra, Dehradun
At a glance
Peas in the Sub-tropical foothills
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
Sow now
The window here is Mid-October to mid-November.
- Sow
- Harvest
- Today
- Not suited here
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-tropical foothills | Last week of OctoberMid-October to mid-November | |||
| Temperate Himalaya | October to NovemberMarch to June | September to October | ||
| Cold desert | April to May | September to October | ||
| North-west plains | Mid-October to mid-November | |||
| Gangetic plains | October to November | |||
| North-east hills and valleys | October to mid-November | |||
| Arid west | Mid-October to mid-November | |||
| Central plateau | Mid-October to November | |||
| Deccan plateau | Mid-October to November | |||
| South interior | October to NovemberFebruary to March | |||
| West coast | Not suited here | |||
| East coast | October to November | |||
From seed to harvest
One season, day by day
Days from sowing
Before sowing
Farmyard manure1
8 tonnes per acre · Apply all of it when preparing the field · field preparation
Day 7 to 14
Seeds come up2,3,6Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Day 50 to 55
First picking1
Water every 10 to 15 days, more at flowering and pod set.1
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH2,3,1,6
6 to 7.5
Well drained, fertile loam. Light soils suit an early crop and heavier soils a main season crop. It does poorly on acid soils below pH 5.5.
SunlightNo published guide covers this for the Sub-tropical foothills, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
At least 6 hours a day
Full sun. Pick an open bed away from tall shade.
Temperature1,3,6
Grows best at 10 to 18 °C
Takes light frost.
Monthly temperatures for the Sub-tropical foothills aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
Watering1
In dry weather give a light irrigation every 10 to 15 days. One or two irrigations at flowering and pod set are essential.
Weeding1
Weed and hoe twice, four and eight weeks after germination. Two hand weedings are usually enough. Stake tall varieties for better pods.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| field preparation | Farmyard manure | 8 tonnes per acre | Apply all of it when preparing the field |
Varieties and yield
60 to 70 quintals an acre
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Arkel
Early; pods ready in 55 to 60 days
Azad P-3
Early
Matar Ageta-7
Early
Arka Karthik
Main season; resistant to powdery mildew and rust
Azad P-1
Main season
P-89
Main season
Bonneville
Main season
Good neighboursNo published guide covers this for the Sub-tropical foothills, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Organic and cultural controls only.
Pea aphid
Signs
Green insects suck sap from the shoots, so leaves turn pale, curl and dry.
What to do
- Remove weeds on bunds, waste land and channels, where aphids build up
- Do not overfeed with nitrogen
Pea leaf miner
Signs
Larvae make winding tunnels in the leaves; badly mined leaves dry up.
What to do
- Remove weeds in and around the field
- Keep plants healthy with balanced feeding
Pea stem fly
Signs
Damages young plants at the seedling stage.
What to do
- Avoid sowing too early in hot weather
Pea thrips
Signs
Tiny insects suck sap from the young crop.
What to do
- Remove weeds in and around the field
Powdery mildew
Signs
White floury growth on stems, branches, leaves and pods. Severe attacks stunt the plants and cut the yield.
What to do
- Grow a resistant variety such as Arka Karthik
Ascochyta blight
Signs
Brown spots on leaves and stems; roots of infected plants turn brown.
Prevention
- Sow healthy seed
Wilt and root rot
Signs
In true wilt the plant wilts without yellowing. In root and collar rot, roots and the collar rot, the lowest leaves yellow, then the plant wilts.
Prevention
- Avoid early sowing in badly infested fields
- Follow a three year rotation with cereals
Seed and the season's end
Saving seed1,2Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Grow the seed crop with the same seed rate and spacing as the table crop. Keep 5 m between two varieties.
When the seed is ready
Leave the pods on the plant until they turn dry and papery and the seeds rattle.
Cleaning the seed
Pick the dry pods, shell them by hand and dry the seed in the shade for a few days.
Store fully dry seed in a sealed tin or jar in a cool, dry place.
After the last pickingNo published guide covers this for the Sub-tropical foothills, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Pull or cut the vines after the last picking and compost them, or dig them in to feed the next crop.
After the last picking, chop the vines and dig them in or compost them. Remove plants that died of wilt or rot.
Rotation
Follow a three year rotation with cereals where wilt is a problem. Do not grow peas straight after brinjal, cauliflower, carrot or peas; tomato or chilli is a better crop before them.
Sources
Where this comes from
Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.
These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.
- Package of Practices for Vegetable Crops 2020 (Pea; insect-pest and disease management in legume crops)Directorate of Extension, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu)Read the source
- Production Technology of Vegetables and Flowers (VSF-231), Part I: Vegetable production (Garden pea)CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur (Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture)Read the source
- Horticulture: Vegetables: PeasTNAU Agritech Portal, Tamil Nadu Agricultural UniversityRead the source
- Economic potential of pea farming in Himachal Pradesh (Indian Farming 74(12): 15-17, December 2024)ICAR (Indian Farming); authors at Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, SolanRead the source
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