When to plant French beans in the UK
Outdoors, French beans go in from around 7 May in London to 28 May in Edinburgh.
- Type
- Tender No frost, likes warmth
- First harvest
- About 70 days from sowing in the UK
- Spacing
- 15 cm between plants
- In pots
- Yes in a big enough pot
- Tender. French bean goes outdoors only once the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
- Start under cover. In a greenhouse or polytunnel it can go in about four weeks earlier than outdoors.
Town by town
24 towns from north to south. Dates move later the further you go from the equator and the higher up. Tap a town for its full calendar.
Sow outdoorsSow under cover (a greenhouse or polytunnel)
| TownTown, north to south | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EdinburghFrom 28 MayOutdoors 28 May to 7 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Sow under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| GlasgowFrom 26 MayOutdoors 26 May to 7 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Sow under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Newcastle upon TyneFrom 24 MayOutdoors 24 May to 23 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BelfastFrom 27 MayOutdoors 27 May to 26 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Not this month | May: Sow under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeedsFrom 18 MayOutdoors 18 May to 29 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BradfordFrom 20 MayOutdoors 20 May to 24 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PrestonFrom 18 MayOutdoors 18 May to 29 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Kingston upon HullFrom 16 MayOutdoors 16 May to 16 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ManchesterFrom 16 MayOutdoors 16 May to 29 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LiverpoolFrom 19 MayOutdoors 19 May to 2 Aug | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SheffieldFrom 16 MayOutdoors 16 May to 18 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| NottinghamFrom 14 MayOutdoors 14 May to 14 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LeicesterFrom 13 MayOutdoors 13 May to 13 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| WolverhamptonFrom 17 MayOutdoors 17 May to 24 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BirminghamFrom 16 MayOutdoors 16 May to 17 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CoventryFrom 13 MayOutdoors 13 May to 13 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SwanseaFrom 15 MayOutdoors 15 May to 31 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Southend-on-SeaFrom 9 MayOutdoors 9 May to 9 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LondonFrom 7 MayOutdoors 7 May to 7 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CardiffFrom 16 MayOutdoors 16 May to 2 Aug | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ReadingFrom 9 MayOutdoors 9 May to 9 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BristolFrom 11 MayOutdoors 11 May to 11 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| SouthamptonFrom 10 MayOutdoors 10 May to 10 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BrightonFrom 10 MayOutdoors 10 May to 10 Jul | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow outdoors and under cover | August: Sow under cover | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
French beans in other countries
When to plant other crops in the UK
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
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App StoreComing soonHow these dates are worked out: climate records for each town (ERA5-Land, 1995 to 2024), its frost dates and its height above sea level turn a seed-packet date into a local one. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; towns from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). How sowing dates work