When to plant runner beans in the US
Outdoors, runner beans go in from around February 25 in Phoenix to June 3 in Denver.
- Type
- Tender No frost, likes warmth
- First harvest
- About 90 days from sowing in the UK
- Spacing
- 12 in between plants
- In pots
- Not really better in the ground
- Tender. Runner 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.
- Two goes in warm places. Where summers are long, there’s a second window later in the year as well as the spring one.
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 (indoors, a greenhouse or a cold frame)
| TownTown, north to south | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeattleFrom May 9Outdoors May 9 to Jun 24 | 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 under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PortlandFrom May 2Outdoors May 2 to Jun 17 | 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 under cover | August: Not this month | September: Not this month | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| MilwaukeeFrom May 16 and Aug 2Outdoors May 16 to Jul 1, and Aug 2 to Aug 12 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| BostonFrom May 5 and Jul 31Outdoors May 5 to Jun 20, and Jul 31 to Aug 11 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| DetroitFrom May 13 and Jul 26Outdoors May 13 to Jun 28, and Jul 26 to Aug 11 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| ChicagoFrom May 14 and Jul 28Outdoors May 14 to Jun 29, and Jul 28 to Aug 15 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| New York CityFrom Apr 29 and Jul 28Outdoors Apr 29 to Jun 14, and Jul 28 to Aug 19 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Columbus, OhioFrom May 12 and Jul 27Outdoors May 12 to Jun 27, and Jul 27 to Aug 16 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PhiladelphiaFrom Apr 28 and Jul 28Outdoors Apr 28 to Jun 13, and Jul 28 to Aug 23 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| IndianapolisFrom May 10 and Jul 27Outdoors May 10 to Jun 25, and Jul 27 to Aug 19 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| DenverFrom Jun 3Outdoors Jun 3 to Aug 4 | 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 |
| BaltimoreFrom Apr 24 and Jul 27Outdoors Apr 24 to Jun 9, and Jul 27 to Aug 25 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| WashingtonFrom Apr 24 and Jul 27Outdoors Apr 24 to Jun 9, and Jul 27 to Aug 28 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Not this month | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow outdoors and under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| LouisvilleFrom Apr 27 and Jul 28Outdoors Apr 27 to Jun 12, and Jul 28 to Aug 27 | 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 under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Las VegasFrom Mar 8 and Aug 26Outdoors Mar 8 to Apr 23, and Aug 26 to Sep 26 | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| NashvilleFrom Apr 19 and Jul 28Outdoors Apr 19 to Jun 4, and Jul 28 to Sep 3 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Oklahoma CityFrom Apr 13 and Jul 31Outdoors Apr 13 to May 29, and Jul 31 to Sep 9 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| CharlotteFrom Apr 13 and Jul 26Outdoors Apr 13 to May 29, and Jul 26 to Sep 3 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| AlbuquerqueFrom Apr 30 and Jul 25Outdoors Apr 30 to Jun 15, and Jul 25 to Aug 28 | 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 outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| Los AngelesFrom Mar 25 and Aug 14Outdoors Mar 25 to May 20, and Aug 14 to Oct 8 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| AtlantaFrom Apr 12 and Jul 28Outdoors Apr 12 to May 28, and Jul 28 to Sep 6 | January: Not this month | February: Not this month | March: Sow under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow outdoors and under cover | June: Sow under cover | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow under cover | October: Not this month | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
| PhoenixFrom Feb 25 and Sep 6Outdoors Feb 25 to Apr 12, and Sep 6 to Oct 23 | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow under cover | June: Not this month | July: Not this month | August: Sow under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow under cover | December: Not this month |
| JacksonvilleFrom Mar 2 and Jul 31Outdoors Mar 2 to Apr 17, and Jul 31 to Dec 5 | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow under cover | June: Not this month | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow outdoors and under cover | November: Sow outdoors and under cover | December: Sow under cover |
| HoustonFrom Mar 12 and Aug 10Outdoors Mar 12 to Apr 27, and Aug 10 to Oct 1 | January: Not this month | February: Sow under cover | March: Sow outdoors and under cover | April: Sow outdoors and under cover | May: Sow under cover | June: Not this month | July: Sow under cover | August: Sow outdoors and under cover | September: Sow outdoors and under cover | October: Sow under cover | November: Not this month | December: Not this month |
Don’t see your town? Find it by name or postcode.
Runner beans in other countries
When to plant other crops in the US
Fruiting
Roots
Leaves
Beans and peas
Onion family
Brassicas
Herbs
Fruit
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Get these dates as reminders
Bia turns this calendar into a nudge when it’s time to sow, plant out and harvest, for your backyard or community garden plot wherever you are in the US. Free for 2 months.
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