Green Beans Planting Guide

May

Your May guide to green beans

This page is about green beans in general. For your zone's exact planting and harvest dates, pick your county below.

Sun full sun

Water moderate

Days to harvest 50–65

Plant depth 1″

Spacing 15″

How to water green beans
Consistent moisture matters more than volume for green beans. Little and often beats occasional drenching.
Where to put green beans
green beans wants at least 6 hours of direct sun. Less than that and you'll get leggy plants with weak yields.
Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant green beans. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.

Show me green beans timing for my zone →

Green beans are a warm-season staple available as bush or pole types. Bush beans produce a concentrated harvest while pole beans provide a longer picking season.

Phaseolus vulgaris · Vegetable · Fabaceae family · 50–65 days to maturity

Get Your Personalized Green Beans Planting Dates

Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.

Where Can You Grow Green Beans?

Zone Compatibility for Green Beans Zones 3a – 11b

1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b

Ideal (data available) Suitable Marginal Not recommended

Planting Dates by Zone

Zone	Start Indoors	Direct Sow	Transplant	Harvest
Zone 3a	—	May 29	—	Jul 24 – Sep 18
Zone 3b	—	May 24	—	Jul 19 – Sep 13
Zone 4a	—	May 20	—	Jul 15 – Sep 9
Zone 4b	—	May 15	—	Jul 10 – Sep 4
Zone 5a	—	May 2	—	Jun 27 – Aug 22
Zone 5b	—	Apr 25	—	Jun 20 – Aug 15
Zone 6a	—	Apr 17	—	Jun 12 – Aug 7
Zone 6b	—	Apr 10	—	Jun 5 – Jul 31
Zone 7a	—	Apr 1	—	May 27 – Jul 22
Zone 7b	—	Mar 25	—	May 20 – Jul 15
Zone 8a	—	Mar 15	—	May 10 – Jul 5
Zone 8b	—	Mar 4	—	Apr 29 – Jun 24
Zone 9a	—	Feb 17	—	Apr 14 – Jun 9
Zone 9b	—	Feb 1	—	Mar 29 – May 24
Zone 10a	—	Jan 8	—	Mar 5 – Apr 30
Zone 10b	—	Jan 8	—	Mar 5 – Apr 30
Zone 11a	—	Jan 8	—	Mar 5 – Apr 30
Zone 11b	—	Jan 8	—	Mar 5 – Apr 30

Why are some columns showing "—"?

Start Indoors shows "—" because Green Beans is typically direct sown outdoors rather than started indoors. It germinates quickly and doesn't transplant well.

Transplant shows "—" because Green Beans is best direct sown where it will grow. Transplanting can disturb the roots and slow growth.

How to Plant Green Beans

Planting Depth

15"

Between Plants

24"

Between Rows

Growing Conditions

☀️ Sun

Full Sun (6-8+ hours)

💧 Water

0.9"/week

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Consistent moisture produces the best results.

🧪 Soil pH

6 – 7

Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil — ideal for most garden beds.

🗺️ Hardiness Zones

Zone 3a – 11b

📅 Days to Maturity

50–65 days

Quick-growing crop. Multiple plantings per season are possible.

👪 Plant Family

Fabaceae

Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Fabaceae family crops grew last year.

Succession Planting Green Beans

Green Beans matures in just 50–65 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 4 successive plantings by sowing every 5.7 weeks.

Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.

Companion Planting for Green Beans

✅ Good Companions

Corn Squash Summer Carrots Cucumber

❌ Keep Away From

Onion Garlic Fennel

Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →

Growing Tips for Green Beans

Direct sow after last frost when soil is warm. Provide sturdy supports for pole varieties. Pick beans regularly when young and tender to encourage continued production.

💧 Watering: Green Beans needs approximately 0.9 inches of water per week during active growth. Adjust based on your local rainfall — check your county page for a monthly watering guide specific to your area.

Saving Green Beans Seeds

🌾 Save Your Own Green Beans Seeds

Life Cycle Annual

Pollination Self-Pollinating

How to Collect Allow pods to dry fully on vine until they rattle.

Storage Store airtight; viable 4 years at 35°F, under 45% humidity.

Avoid harvesting during damp weather. Isolate 25 ft between varieties.

Get our full Seed Saving Guide for 200 plants →

Recommended for Your Garden

🌱

Seed Starting Trays $8-20

Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.

🧪

Soil Test Kit $12-25

Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.

🏷️

Garden Plant Markers $6-12

Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.

Reader favourite

Seed Saving & Storage Guide

$27 $157 value

Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.

200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant

Save a lifetime of seed money →

Green Beans by State

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Green Beans?

Green Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) takes 50 to 65 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.

What zones can Green Beans grow in?

Green Beans can be grown in USDA zones 3a through 11b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.

How much sun does Green Beans need?

Growing Green Beans requires Full Sun (6-8+ hours), Moderate — regular watering, and soil pH of 6 to 7.