Winter Pea (Pisum sativum )
The first snow in December
Winter peas are sown in autumn and after the winter they get an early start, maturity and harvest the year after.
Winter peas can survive down to -18 to -24 °C, depending on snow cover, temperature swings, etc. In December 2021 my winter peas survived -19 °C with no snow cover without any problems, and in January 2024 they survived -24 °C with snow. Winter peas should not be sown too early, since larger plants are not as cold hardy as smaller ones. I sow them around 1 October. When I sowed them as early as 19 September only a few plants survived. The exact sowing time of course depends on your climate, so you'll have to do a bit of trial and error.
Winter peas can also be sown in spring, but will not mature as early then.