Why Pea Plants Fail to Produce Pods (and How to Fix It)

03.05.2024 - 14:22 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren

Why Pea Plants Fail to Produce Pods (and How to Fix It)

Unless you’re growing ornamental sweet peas, the whole point of having peas (Pisum sativum) in your garden is to enjoy the edible pods.

If your vines aren’t producing pods, you’re wasting your time, right?

There are a number of reasons that a relatively healthy-looking plant will fail to produce those big, plump pods. Sometimes you can fix the cause and control the problem, and sometimes you can’t.

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In this guide we’re going to help you figure out what the cause is so you can act accordingly.

If you’re lucky and quick, you can fix the problem and still be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Here are the top reasons why peas fail to produce pods:

Pests and disease can cause the plant to stop growing or even die. But most diseases will cause the entire plant to suffer.

It’s not just pods you need to worry about in these cases, as the entire plant will be in bad shape.

To learn about how to grow peas and the pests and diseases that might plague your plants, visit our guide.

In this guide, we’re going to cover the plants that otherwise look fine but aren’t forming pods. If your plant is producing empty pods, read about the reasons for that here.

Some like it hot, as the saying goes. Peas do not. Once the temperature starts climbing above 65°F, the plant’s growth will slow or even stop.

You can’t control the weather, but if you are able, cover the plants with shade cloth in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day.

As long as it isn’t too hot, this should be enough to make a difference and restart growth. If it’s over 85°F or so, there’s