When to plant green beans in zone 6a
In zone 6a, where the last spring frost typically comes around April 29, sow outdoors May 19 to June 2.
The zone 6a schedule for green beans
- Sow outdoors
- May 19 to June 2
- Soil warm enough (60°F), about
- May 19
- Safest planting date (10% frost risk)
- May 14
- First harvest, roughly
- July 8 to August 11
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 4,514 ZIP codes in zone 6a, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for green beans.
Frost risk in zone 6a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 6a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 16 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 11 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 4 to October 24. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 16Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- April 29Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 14Safe: 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 6a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Apr 11 | May 12 to 26 | — |
| Indianapolis city, IN | Apr 15 | May 5 to 19 | — |
| Denver, CO | May 4 | May 22 to Jun 5 | — |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 3 | May 24 to Jun 7 | — |
| Omaha, NE | Apr 18 | May 7 to 21 | — |
| Aurora, CO | May 4 | May 22 to Jun 5 | — |
| Lincoln, NE | Apr 24 | May 9 to 23 | — |
| Fort Wayne, IN | Apr 24 | May 12 to 26 | — |
| Grand Rapids, MI | Apr 29 | May 19 to Jun 2 | — |
| Lakewood, CO | May 5 | May 25 to Jun 8 | — |
| Springfield, MA | May 3 | May 20 to Jun 3 | — |
| Joliet, IL | Apr 19 | May 16 to 30 | — |
How to grow green beansAll zonesGreen Beans in zone 5bGreen Beans in zone 6bAbout zone 6a
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