Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Green Arrow in USDA Zone 7
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Green Arrow · Zones 2–10
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | — | — | April – May | July – August |
| Zone 4 | — | — | April – May | June – August |
| Zone 5 | — | — | April – August | June – September |
| Zone 6 | — | — | March – August | May – October |
| Zone 7 | — | — | March – September | May – November |
| Zone 8 | — | — | February – October | April – December |
| Zone 9 | — | — | January – March | March – May |
| Zone 10 | — | — | December – February | February – April |
Complete Growing Guide
Start preparing your Green Arrow pea bed in early spring while soil temperatures are still cool. Choose a spot that receives morning sun but has some afternoon protection in hot climates, as peas prefer temperatures between 55-70°F. Work compost or aged manure into your soil to a depth of 8-10 inches, but avoid fresh nitrogen fertilizers which encourage leafy growth at the expense of pod production.
Direct sow Green Arrow seeds 3-4 weeks before your last frost date when soil can be worked. Plant seeds 1-1.5 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart in double rows spaced 6 inches apart. This spacing maximizes your harvest in limited space while providing good air circulation. Soak seeds overnight in lukewarm water before planting to improve germination rates, especially in cool soil.
Install your support system at planting time to avoid disturbing roots later. Green Arrow vines reach 24-28 inches tall and produce heavy pods that require sturdy 3-foot netting or trellis support. Use bamboo poles or metal posts every 6 feet with pea netting stretched between them. The vines will naturally grab onto the support with their tendrils.
Water consistently but avoid overhead watering once plants begin flowering, as wet foliage promotes fungal diseases. Apply 1 inch of water weekly at soil level, increasing slightly during pod fill. Mulch around plants with straw or shredded leaves to maintain soil moisture and suppress weeds that compete for nutrients.
Avoid the common mistake of over-fertilizing with nitrogen. Peas fix their own nitrogen through root nodules, so excess nitrogen delays flowering and reduces yields. Instead, side-dress with compost tea or low-nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10) once pods begin forming. In zones 7-9, make successive plantings every 2-3 weeks until 10 weeks before summer heat arrives for continuous harvests.
Harvesting
Begin checking Green Arrow pods 68-75 days after planting when they reach 4-5 inches long and appear plump but still bright green. The pods should feel firm and well-filled when gently squeezed, with peas clearly visible through the pod walls. Harvest in early morning when pods are crisp and sugar content is highest from overnight cool temperatures.
Test readiness by gently pressing a pod - mature peas should feel round and firm but not hard. If pods appear flat or peas feel small and soft, wait another few days. Pods that turn light green or show white patches are past prime eating quality. Pick by grasping the pod stem and pulling with a quick twist motion rather than yanking straight down, which can damage the vine and reduce future production. Green Arrow produces pods in clusters, so harvest every 2-3 days during peak season to encourage continued production and prevent pods from becoming tough and starchy.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Green Arrow pods keep best when stored unwashed in perforated plastic bags in your refrigerator's crisper drawer at 32-40°F. They'll maintain peak quality for 5-7 days, though sugar content begins converting to starch immediately after harvest. For longest fresh storage, leave peas in pods until ready to use.
For freezing, shell peas and blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then plunge into ice water before draining and packaging in freezer bags. Frozen peas keep for 8-12 months. Green Arrow's uniform maturity makes it excellent for pressure canning - process pint jars for 40 minutes at 11 pounds pressure. You can also dehydrate shelled peas at 125°F for 8-12 hours until hard, then store in airtight containers for soups and stews.
History & Origin
Green Arrow was developed in the 1960s by plant breeders seeking to create the perfect market garden pea. This hybrid variety was specifically bred to address common commercial growing challenges: inconsistent maturity, disease susceptibility, and variable pod production that plagued earlier varieties.
The variety's development focused on combining the heavy-yielding characteristics of tall English peas with improved disease resistance and uniform ripening. Breeders selected parent lines that consistently produced long, straight pods packed with 9-11 peas each, significantly higher than the 6-7 peas typical of varieties available at the time.
Green Arrow quickly gained popularity among commercial growers and serious home gardeners throughout the 1970s and 1980s for its reliability and processing qualities. Its resistance to fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, powdery mildew, and pea enation mosaic virus made it particularly valuable in regions where these diseases had limited pea production. Today, it remains a standard variety in seed catalogs specifically because of its proven track record for consistent, heavy yields across diverse growing conditions.
Advantages
- +Exceptional uniform maturity allows for single-harvest processing and preserving
- +Disease resistance to fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, powdery mildew, and pea enation mosaic virus
- +Consistently produces 9-11 peas per pod, significantly higher than most varieties
- +Pods maintain sweetness longer after harvest compared to standard shelling peas
- +Performs reliably across diverse soil types and climate conditions
- +Concentrated harvest period perfect for farmers market sales and bulk processing
- +Strong vines support heavy pod loads without lodging or breaking
Considerations
- -Requires sturdy 3-foot support system due to vine height and heavy pod production
- -Short harvest window means you must be ready to process large quantities quickly
- -More susceptible to bacterial blight and downy mildew than some newer varieties
- -Takes longer to mature (68-75 days) compared to early pea varieties
- -Hybrid variety means you cannot save seeds for replanting next season
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Carrots
Peas fix nitrogen in soil which carrots need, while carrots don't compete for space
Radishes
Break up soil for pea roots and mature quickly before peas need full space
Lettuce
Grows in shade of pea vines and benefits from nitrogen fixation
Spinach
Cool-season companion that benefits from nitrogen and doesn't compete for light
Marigolds
Repel aphids and other pests that commonly attack pea plants
Mint
Deters ants and rodents that may eat pea seeds and pods
Chives
Repel aphids and improve overall garden health near peas
Turnips
Benefit from nitrogen fixation and don't interfere with pea vine growth
Keep Apart
Onions
Can inhibit pea growth and nitrogen fixation through root compounds
Garlic
May stunt pea growth and interfere with beneficial root bacteria
Gladiolus
Compete heavily for nutrients and can inhibit pea pod development
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Resistant to fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, powdery mildew, and pea enation mosaic virus
Common Pests
Pea weevil, aphids, thrips, cucumber beetles
Diseases
Bacterial blight, downy mildew, white mold, damping-off