The snow pea is in my opinion one of the best vegetables to grow in pots. The seeds germinate quickly and you can direct-sow them in the garden bed if you want to. But if you would like to try growing snow peas in pots and then plant them in your bed at later time, you should absolutely give it a try!

These popular peas come in many different colors and shapes. I like sowing many batches from February to August so that I can harvest peas from May to October.

The whole family is looking forward to eating fresh snow peas from the garden!

Growing snow peas in pots

Many of the peas here in my garden grow out in the open, simply because I have the space. But growing snow peas in pots actually works really well too. This might be the perfect solution if you want to start growing vegetables in your balcony or if you simply want to have some peas close at hand on your patio.

You don't need to do very much at all to get your peas to thrive in pots. You just need to water them and add some fertilizer when they start to grow. You can use diluted urine if you want, or maybe a few handfuls of grass clippings on top of the soil.

The regular flat varieties grow nicely in pots, but the chubby sugar snap peas work well too. The top picture shows the variety Tom Thumb in a large pot.

Tips for growing snow peas in pots:

• Go for low-growing varieties if you want to grow them in a spot where you can't stake them.
• Support the taller varieties with a trellis.
• Sow the seeds in a circle (around 2 inches apart) close to the middle of the pot.
• If you want a bushier plant: sow 2-3 seeds in every spot.
• Start on a new pot a few weeks after sowing the first one.

The low-growing variety Norli is climbing the grids in my polytunnel. The first sowing usually produces a harvest in May.

Many varieties to choose from

It's so much fun to pick snow peas when there are children in the family. They love picking purple, yellow and green little peas in different shapes and sizes. Here are my favorite varieties that you can grow in pots. Try finding your snow pea seeds in your online garden stores, they usually have many different varieties to choose from.

Shiraz - a beautiful purple snow pea.
Tom Thumb - an extra small low-growing green sugar snap pea variety.
Märta - a yellow snow pea variety.
Carouby de Maussane - a lovely variety with beautiful purple flowers and large pods.
Norli - a fast-growing variety you can grow early in the season, about two feet tall.

Don't worry if you happen to grow too many peas, as long as you remember to harvest them. Because the more you harvest, the more pods the plant will produce. You could always freeze the peas that you don't want to eat straight away. I do that all the time and it works really well. Good luck growing snow peas in pots!
/Sara Bäckmo