What is the best month to plant beans?
Written by
Tina Carter
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Knowing the best month for bean planting is how you can turn a sparse harvest into a bumper one. I've witnessed gardeners lose their crops through ignorance of climatic patterns in their own regions, so take it from me that fall harvests depend on frost dates and the temperature of the soil to begin with in your locality. I'll show you how. Just read on!
Don't bother with calendar dates; go by temperature. Beans won't sprout till the soil is 12°C (54°F); measure it with a digital thermometer. I take my readings before first light; if sown in soil of 10°C (50°F) or under, the seeds soon rot. An extra day or two in the ground makes no difference; warmth is the thing that makes them 'grow'.
Frost Date Tracking
- Determine last spring frost using local agricultural extensions
- Plant bush beans two weeks after this date
- Delay pole varieties an extra week for warmer soil
Microclimate Adjustments
- Urban areas: Plant 1-2 weeks earlier than rural zones
- Coastal gardens: Add two weeks to standard planting dates
- Mountains: Wait until nighttime lows stay above 5°C (41°F)
Avoid the common mistakes with timing. Avoid planting in summer. For tropical gardeners, this means refraining from summer planting. Anything hotter than 32°C (90°F) burns the flowers. In cold zones, if given the choice, I plant in June rather than May. Take it from me, I learnt the hard way after losing several seedlings to frost a few years ago. Actually, you can also hasten soil warming by covering it with black plastic.
Read the full article: When to Plant Beans for a Bountiful Harvest
