Peas with edible pods are further divided into two more groups, although the groups can overlap. Snow peas or sugar peas are they type many people are familiar with from Chinese dishes. They are harvested when the seeds are just beginning to develop inside the pod and eaten pod and all. At this stage the young pods are tender and stringless but if left on the vines until the peas fill out, the pods will eventually get tough and stringy. If this happens, you can still shell the peas and use them like garden peas. Dwarf Gray Sugar is a good choice for stir-fyring. This is the type that you pick before the peas fill out. The 24-30" vines are reported to be self supporting. This is the earliest and most dwarf of the snow peas. If you can find seeds, the Golden Sweet is a wax snow pea, with pale yellow pods borne in pairs. The 4-5' vines will need support, but the plants are heat and drought resistant and very prolific.
Snap peas bring the best of both worlds. The pods are stringless and edible, but you can wait until the peas have filled out in size before picking and using. Then you can cook the whole pod for a crunchy treat or shell them if you're not partial to eating pods. The original Sugar Snap can mature in a quick 55 days. Since the peas are allowed to fill out, these vines will probably need some support, especially since they can grow to 5'. Mammoth Melting Sugar is a good choice for a late season producer. You can extend your season in both directions by planting in Spring for a May harvest and seeding again in late summer, for a Fall harvest. Again the vines are 4-5' feet and require support.
Since peas are an easy crop to grow and easy seeds to save, there are many old varieties available. Whatever type you choose, peas are a cool season crop. They can and should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, for those of us where the ground freezes. You lucky people who live above freezing year round are probably already harvesting your winter crop of peas and out of jealousy, we won't talk about you here. Heirloom Seeds has a nice concise chart of
