When to plant green beans in zone 5a
In zone 5a, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 3, sow outdoors May 23 to June 6.
The zone 5a schedule for green beans
- Sow outdoors
- May 23 to June 6
- Soil warm enough (60°F), about
- May 23
- Safest planting date (10% frost risk)
- May 17
- First harvest, roughly
- July 12 to August 15
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,200 ZIP codes in zone 5a, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for green beans.
Frost risk in zone 5a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 5a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 27 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 21 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 25 to October 13. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 20Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 3Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 17Safe: 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 5a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | May 19 to Jun 2 | — |
| St. Paul, MN | Apr 23 | May 19 to Jun 2 | — |
| Anchorage, AK | May 5 | May 5 to 19 | — |
| Sioux Falls, SD | May 1 | May 18 to Jun 1 | — |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Apr 28 | May 11 to 25 | — |
| Billings, MT | May 10 | Jun 2 to 16 | — |
| Bloomington, MN | Apr 23 | May 17 to 31 | — |
| Sioux City, IA | Apr 29 | May 15 to 29 | — |
| Brooklyn Park, MN | Apr 30 | May 21 to Jun 4 | — |
| Woodbury, MN | Apr 24 | May 19 to Jun 2 | — |
| Plymouth, MN | Apr 29 | May 21 to Jun 4 | — |
| Blaine, MN | Apr 30 | May 21 to Jun 4 | — |
How to grow green beansAll zonesGreen Beans in zone 4bGreen Beans in zone 5bAbout zone 5a
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