When Should You Plant Green Beans?
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GardenSays
Sow bush beans outside May 12 – May 19 — after frost danger passes and soil has warmed.
- Sow from
- May 12 – May 19
- Last sowing
- Jul 27
- Last frost (typ.)
- May 5
Bush beans are frost-tender and germinate poorly in cold, wet ground — unlike peas or lettuce, you wait until AFTER the last frost (May 5) and until the soil warms. Sowing too early into cold spring soil rots the seed. The safe window in Minneapolis, MN opens around May 12.
Do this this week
- 1.Sow bush beans now — frost danger has passed and soil has warmed
- 2.Sow a short row every 14-21 days from May 12 until about Jul 27 for a steady harvest instead of one glut.
Calculated result · 3 verified sources · Checked 2026-07-17 · How we decide
Why
Sow a short row every 14-21 days from May 12 until about Jul 27 for a steady harvest instead of one glut. Your season fits bush beans comfortably — first sowings mature well before the typical first frost (Oct 5), and later sowings extend the harvest.
- Warm-season crops need warm soil to germinate: cold, wet spring ground causes seed rot and poor stands, which is why they go in after frost, not before.
- Days-to-maturity versus your frost-free season sets how late you can keep sowing.
When this doesn't apply
- Beans resent transplanting — always direct sow. Pre-germinating seed helps in cool spring soil, but don't sow into cold, wet ground.
- A cold snap after sowing can still kill seedlings — hold off if a late frost is forecast, even inside the window.
How this was calculated
- 1. Last spring frostMay 5Source guidance
Minneapolis, MN: typical (50% probability) last 32°F frost
- 2. First sowing windowMay 12 – May 19Calculated result
Bush Beans is frost-tender — sow only after frost danger passes AND soil has warmed (7-14 days after the last frost)
- 3. Last safe sowingJul 27Calculated result
50-60 days to maturity must finish ~10 days before the typical first fall frost (Oct 5)
- 4. Succession sowingevery 14-21 daysSource guidance
Bush beans keep producing from repeat sowings every 14-21 days
Data sources
- University of Maryland Extension — Growing Beans in a Home Garden — Sow snap beans after danger of frost is past; cold, wet spring soil causes seed rot. Succession-sow every 2-3 weeks from the frost-free date through mid-to-late July. Bush snap spacing 2-4 in in-row x 24-30 in rows. 50-60 days to maturity. Harvest when pods are tender and snap easily, seeds ~1/4 full size before pods bulge. Keep the root zone moist, water more once pods develop. (checked 2026-07-17)
- NOAA NCEI — 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals (freeze date probabilities) (checked 2026-07-15)
- National Gardening Association — frost date lookup (checked 2026-07-15)
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