Tall Telephone

Family: Fabaceae Legume

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Tall Telephone to a garden.

Sweet, garden-bright pods fill with plump peas that practically glow—tender-sweet flavor with a clean, snap-tender bite when shelled.

Tall Telephone’s vigorous, upright growth keeps pods up and easy to spot, delivering a steady harvest of uniformly sized peas prized for their rich, classic shelling quality. Grow for fresh shelling at the peak of cool-season sweetness, or for turning into vibrant pea purées and spoonable sides that showcase their naturally sweet character.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 70 DaysHabit: Upright

Botanical illustration of Tall Telephone

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Tall Telephone Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Direct Sow	May 25th	Aug 3rd – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Direct Sow	May 19th	Jul 28th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Direct Sow	May 13th	Jul 22nd – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Direct Sow	May 8th	Jul 17th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Direct Sow	May 4th	Jul 13th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Direct Sow	May 1st	Jul 10th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Direct Sow	Apr 25th	Jul 4th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Direct Sow	Apr 20th	Jun 29th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Direct Sow	Apr 10th	Jun 19th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Direct Sow	Apr 1st	Jun 10th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Direct Sow	Mar 23rd	Jun 1st – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Direct Sow	Mar 6th	May 15th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Direct Sow	Feb 9th	Apr 20th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	70
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	Trellis
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	45
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	28
Harden Off (days)	Not Required

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Tall Telephone shelling peas are built for the sweet, snap-tender moment—cook them fast, then let butter gloss the surface without turning them creamy-mushy. Their classic sweetness plays beautifully with lemon and mint, and purées up into a spoonable, softly starchy texture.

Best Uses

quick-sautéed peas with butter and a splash of starchy pasta water
blitzed pea purée for a spoonable side or silky base
fresh shelling into warm grain salads where they hold their bite
rapid cook (steamed/boiled) and finished with lemon zest and olive oil

Flavor Profile

tender-sweet snap when shelled clean, garden-bright pea flavor lightly starchy, creamy mouthfeel when cooked finishing sweetness that reads herbal, not green-bitter

Kitchen Pairings

unsalted butter lemon garlic mint parmesan

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I manage powdery mildew on Pisum sativum (Tall Telephone) if it appears?

Powdery mildew shows up as a white, floury coating on pea leaves—especially in humid weather and dense foliage. Remove badly infected leaves, improve airflow by thinning if plants are overcrowded, and avoid wetting foliage when watering. If it keeps spreading, spray a potassium bicarbonate or neem-based product labeled for edible legumes and repeat as directed on the label.

How often should I water Tall Telephone peas (Pisum sativum) during the main growing phase?

Water deeply about once or twice per week, aiming for evenly moist soil during flowering and pod fill. Let the top 1 inch of soil dry slightly between waterings, then soak thoroughly so moisture reaches the root zone. In sandy soil you may need more frequent watering; in heavy soil reduce frequency to prevent root stress.

When are Tall Telephone peas (Pisum sativum) ready to harvest?

Start harvesting when pods are fully filled but still tender—typically about 70 days from sowing for Tall Telephone. Pick peas when pods feel firm and the peas inside are well-developed yet not bulging to the point of toughness. Harvesting every 1–2 days keeps plants producing and prevents the pods from over-maturing.