When to Plant Bush Beans
Bush beans are a tender warm-season vegetable. Frost damages them, so they go out only after the last spring frost.
Sow them outdoors from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after it. For a fall crop, sow 11 to 14 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 50 to 60 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Apr 15 – May 6 | May 15 – Jun 5 |
| Harvest | May 4 – 25 | Jun 4 – 25 | Jul 4 – 25 |
| Fall: Sow outdoors | Aug 9 – 30 | Jul 19 – Aug 9 | Jun 24 – Jul 15 |
| Fall: Harvest | Sep 28 – Oct 19 | Sep 7 – 28 | Aug 13 – Sep 3 |
Growing bush beans
Sow into warm soil, since seed rots in cold wet ground, and pick pods before the seeds bulge.
- Spacing: 3 in apart, in rows 24 in apart. In a raised bed, 9 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 50 to 60 from sowing, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Successions: sow again every 14 days for a steady supply. See succession planting.
- Rotation: bush beans are in the bean family. Plant them where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, calendula, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collards, cucumber, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, marigold, pea (shelling/snap/snow), potato, radish, rosemary, sage, strawberry, sweet corn, swiss chard. See companion plants for bush beans.
- Usually kept apart from: cherry tomato, chives, garlic, green onion, leek, onion (bulb), shallot, tomato.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant bush beans and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can bush beans go in before the last frost?
No. Bush beans are damaged by frost: sow them from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after it.
How long do bush beans take to grow?
About 50 to 60 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow bush beans in fall?
Yes. Sow 11 to 14 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
How often should I sow bush beans?
Every 14 days or so for a steady harvest, until the last sowing that still ripens before your first fall frost. The planner works that date out for your ZIP code.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Fall Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: All About Beans
- Iowa State: Growing Green Beans
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Beans in Your Garden
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Companion Planting (Food Hero, 2021)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home
- University of Vermont Extension: Creating a Biodiverse Vegetable Garden (2023)