When to plant green beans in zone 5b
In zone 5b, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 1, sow outdoors May 23 to June 6.
The zone 5b 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 16
- First harvest, roughly
- July 12 to August 15
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,546 ZIP codes in zone 5b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for green beans.
Frost risk in zone 5b
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 5b, the typical last frost ranges from about April 21 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 18 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 30 to October 19. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 18Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 1Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 16Safe: 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 5b cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | Apr 19 | May 25 to Jun 8 | — |
| Madison, WI | May 1 | May 22 to Jun 5 | — |
| Des Moines, IA | Apr 18 | May 10 to 24 | — |
| Aurora, IL | Apr 19 | May 15 to 29 | — |
| Fort Collins, CO | May 2 | May 23 to Jun 6 | — |
| Naperville, IL | Apr 19 | May 15 to 29 | — |
| Rockford, IL | Apr 24 | May 15 to 29 | — |
| Elgin, IL | Apr 26 | May 18 to Jun 1 | — |
| Greeley, CO | May 2 | May 18 to Jun 1 | — |
| Green Bay, WI | Apr 30 | May 26 to Jun 9 | — |
| Davenport, IA | Apr 19 | May 12 to 26 | — |
| Longmont, CO | May 6 | May 25 to Jun 8 | — |
How to grow green beansAll zonesGreen Beans in zone 5aGreen Beans in zone 6aAbout zone 5b
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