When to plant green beans in zone 4b
In zone 4b, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 8, sow outdoors May 28 to June 11.
The zone 4b schedule for green beans
- Sow outdoors
- May 28 to June 11
- Soil warm enough (60°F), about
- May 28
- Safest planting date (10% frost risk)
- May 22
- First harvest, roughly
- July 17 to August 20
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 1,164 ZIP codes in zone 4b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for green beans.
Frost risk in zone 4b
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 4b, the typical last frost ranges from about May 1 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 25 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 22 to October 8. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 26Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 8Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 22Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10
Green Beans are killed by frost, so if you want to be safe, plant out after the safe date rather than the typical one, or be ready to cover plants on a cold night.
Your dates for green beans
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant green beans where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
Green Beans in zone 4b cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | Apr 30 | May 23 to Jun 6 | — |
| Duluth, MN | May 6 | Jun 21 to Jul 5 | — |
| Lakeville, MN | May 2 | May 24 to Jun 7 | — |
| St. Cloud, MN | May 7 | May 27 to Jun 10 | — |
| Eau Claire, WI | May 8 | May 24 to Jun 7 | — |
| Great Falls, MT | May 19 | Jun 19 to Jul 3 | — |
How to grow green beansAll zonesGreen Beans in zone 4aGreen Beans in zone 5aAbout zone 4b
Sources
- How to Grow Beans in Your Garden · Utah State University Extension
- Growing Beans in a Home Garden · University of Maryland Extension
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP103/VH021) · University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Home Garden Beans (HGV-8) · University of Hawaii CTAHR
- GN 154: Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination (Harrington emergence table) · UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County (UC ANR)
- The Fall Vegetable Garden (HO-66-W) · Purdue University Extension
- Fall Vegetable Gardening (SPES-801) · Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Vegetable Gardening in Containers · Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Growing Vegetables in Containers · University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension