Gordon Johnson, Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist; gcjohn@udel.edu
Some pea fields were planted in early March and may be susceptible to freeze damage over the next several weeks.
Peas are very cold hardy and can tolerate freezing temperatures down to the low 20s. Lower temperatures (below 20°F) or a combination of high winds (gusts over 30 mph) and freezing temperatures (below 25°F) can cause damage to pea plants, sometimes killing them to soil level. Peas that are germinating or just cracking the ground will have little damage.
If pea tops are frozen to the ground level, they will develop new stems from dormant buds below ground. There will be 1-3 new stems that develop. This will be seen within a week after the frost. These stems will develop and flower later than undamaged plants. Generally, freeze damaged peas will yield 5-20% less due to the differences in maturities in the field and having weaker plants.
For peas, the more sensitive stage to freeze damage is flowering which usually occurs late enough in the spring to avoid freeze risk.