How to Grow Snow Peas (Kacang Pea) in Malaysia — and Pea Shoots
Can you grow snow peas (kacang pea) in lowland Malaysia? An honest guide — best months, heat tactics, trellis, mildew control, plus easy pea shoots.
- Difficulty
- Harder
- Days to harvest
- 60–70 days
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
Honest answer: snow peas (kacang pea, also called kacang ercis) are hard in lowland Malaysia. Peas are a cool-weather crop, and in our steady lowland heat the plants often grow weakly, flower poorly and get powdery mildew, so pod harvests are usually small. They grow far better in the highlands, such as Cameron Highlands or Kundasang. In the lowlands, your best chance is a heat-tolerant variety sown in the coolest months (roughly December to February), with morning sun, afternoon shade and cool, mulched roots; first pods come about 60–70 days after sowing. The one key tip: if you mainly want something green and tasty, grow them as pea shoots — that works year-round, anywhere, in about two to three weeks.
Quick facts
| Item | Snow peas (kacang pea) |
|---|---|
| Sun | Morning sun; afternoon shade in the lowlands |
| Sowing depth | 2–3 cm (pods); seeds just pressed in and lightly covered (shoots) |
| Germination | 5–10 days |
| Spacing | 5–8 cm apart along a net (pods); seeds almost touching (shoots) |
| Days to harvest | Pods: about 60–70 days; pea shoots: about 2–3 weeks |
| Container | Pods: trough at least 20–25 cm deep; shoots: a shallow tray 3–5 cm deep |
| Support | Pods: yes — netting or strings 1–1.5 m high; shoots: none |
When and where to try snow peas for pods
Peas like mild temperatures. When days stay above about 30°C, flowers tend to drop and pods stay few. In the lowlands, improve your odds:
- Timing: sow from about December to February, when nights are a little cooler. Many of these weeks are rainy, so a porch or rain shelter helps.
- Variety: look for seed described as heat-tolerant or suitable for tropical lowlands. Dwarf types are easier in pots.
- Spot: morning sun with shade from early afternoon — an east-facing balcony is ideal. Avoid hot west walls and reflective tiles.
- Cool roots: use a light-coloured or larger container and a thick mulch, and keep pots off hot concrete.
Soil and potting mix
A loose, well-drained mix with some organic matter:
- 2 parts potting mix
- 1 part compost
- 1 part burnt rice husk (sekam bakar) or cocopeat
Peas fix part of their own nitrogen through root nodules, so do not add heavy manure. Wet, airless soil rots pea seeds quickly in our heat.
How to sow snow peas step by step (for pods)
- Set up the net first, 1–1.5 m tall, along one side of the trough. Peas climb with thin tendrils, so they need netting or strings, not thick poles.
- Water the mix and let it drain. Sow into moist, not soggy, soil.
- Sow seeds 2–3 cm deep and 5–8 cm apart in a line along the base of the net. Soaking for a few hours beforehand is optional.
- Keep the surface just moist until seedlings appear in about 5–10 days. Overwatering at this stage causes rot.
- Guide the tendrils onto the net when seedlings are 10 cm tall, then mulch.
Pea shoots and microgreens — the easy way
Pea shoots (the tender tops of young pea plants) are delicious stir-fried with garlic and grow well in any season.
- Soak seeds for 8–12 hours.
- Fill a tray with 3–5 cm of moist potting mix or cocopeat. Make sure it has drainage holes.
- Sow densely: spread the seeds so they almost touch, press them in and cover lightly.
- Cover for 2–3 days with another tray or cardboard to keep them moist and dark, then uncover and move to bright light or morning sun.
- Water gently once or twice a day, without flooding the tray.
- Harvest with scissors when shoots are about 10–15 cm tall: roughly 10–14 days for microgreens and 2–3 weeks for larger shoots. Cut above the lowest leaves; some trays give a second, smaller cut.
To work out how many seeds to sow for your tray or bed:
Support and care (for pods)
Keep tendrils on the net as the plants climb. Remove yellow lower leaves for airflow. If the plants stall in a hot spell, keep them watered and shaded; they may pick up again when the weather cools.
Watering in hot and rainy weather
Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged. In hot weather, water early in the morning and check again in the late afternoon. Mulch keeps the roots cooler. In rainy weeks, move pots under shelter if you can, skip watering when the soil is wet and water at the base only — wet leaves invite mildew.
Feeding
Mix compost into the soil at sowing. Once flowering starts, give a diluted liquid fertilizer every 10–14 days, choosing one with more potassium (K) than nitrogen (N). Pea shoots grown for two or three weeks do not need any feeding.
Flowering and pollination
Pea flowers are self-pollinating, so no hand pollination is needed. If flowers drop without pods, the cause is almost always heat, dry soil, or both.
Common pests and diseases in Malaysia
- Powdery mildew: white powder on leaves and stems — the most common problem for peas here. Remove affected leaves early, give good airflow, water at the base and spray neem oil in the evening every 5–7 days as a preventive.
- Aphids and thrips: on shoot tips and flowers. Wash off and spray neem oil. Blue sticky traps help with thrips.
- Leaf miners: wiggly pale lines inside the leaves. Pick off affected leaves.
- Pod borers: caterpillars in flowers and pods. Remove damaged pods and spray neem oil on flowers.
- Damping-off and root rot: seedlings collapse at soil level in wet, warm soil. Use fresh, well-drained mix and avoid overwatering.
More organic methods:
Harvesting pods
Pick snow peas while the pods are still flat and tender, with the peas inside only just visible — usually about 5–8 cm long, roughly a week after the flower fades. Pinch or snip them off, holding the stem. Check every 2–3 days; regular picking encourages more flowers. Young shoot tips from pod plants are edible too.
FAQ
Why does my pea plant grow but give no pods?
Usually heat. In the lowlands, sow in the coolest months, give afternoon shade, mulch well, and choose a heat-tolerant variety.
Can I use the same seeds for pea shoots?
Yes, as long as the seed is untreated — not coated with a coloured fungicide. Check the packet, sow densely and harvest the shoots young.
Are snow peas easier in the highlands?
Yes, much easier. If you have a garden in a highland area, snow peas there can crop well most of the year.
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