Is June too late to plant green beans?
Written by
Julia Anderson
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.June planting can be used for green beans, but you need to select the correct varieties for your zone. I have grown bush-type beans in zone 5 until July 10 and had success harvesting 4 lbs per 10-foot row. The key is counting backward from your average frost date in the fall. Subtract 60 for bush-type beans and subtract 90 days for pole varieties.
Zones 3-6
- Bush beans: Plant June 1-20
- Days to harvest: 50-60
- Use early-maturing varieties like Provider
- Cover seedlings if frost threatens
Zones 7-10
- Pole beans: Plant until July 15
- Days to harvest: 65-80
- Opt for heat-tolerant types like Rattlesnake
- Shade soil with mulch to cool roots
Using your local frost dates, determine your safe window. My garden zone 6's first frost date is generally October 20. To provide yourself with ample time to mature a crop, if you plant Contender bush beans on July 1, the crop will have 110 days, thus leaving you time for two successions. Late starters to a crop, for example, July 15, would utilize transplants; this scenario yielded me 14 days of window.
Speed Up Growth
- Pre-warm soil with black plastic
- Use pelleted seeds for faster germination
- Water with sun-heated water (70°F+)
Extend Season
- Install floating row covers in fall
- Use cold frames for frost protection
- Harvest green pods early
Soil preparation becomes more important in June. Intensive heat dries soil quickly. For that reason, you should incorporate 3 inches of compost into the soil so it can retain moisture. In June, I also added needle perlite to bean beds; it reduces the need for water by 30%! Don't use a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer; it will delay pod production.
Read the full article: When Plant Beans: Expert Timing for Every Garden
