PlantZoneFinder

When to plant bush bean

Tender · warm-season legume

Bush bean is a tender, warm-season legume that matures in about 50–60 days from sowing. Sow directly in the garden direct-sow about 1–2 weeks after the last frost. Because the right calendar date depends on your local frost dates, pick your ZIP or city on the home planner to see exact bush bean planting windows for your location; the per-location pages list them city by city. Windows are extension-guide planning ranges, not guarantees.

Bush bean at a glance

Planning parameters — typical ranges from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Category warm-season legume
Frost tolerance Tender
Start indoors Not usually — direct-sow
Plant out Direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost
Days to maturity 50–60 days (from sow)
Min. soil temp 60°F
Second (fall) crop Yes — count back from first fall frost

Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.

Bush bean planting windows by city

The exact dates depend on each location's average frost calendar. Here is bush bean across 40 locations spanning the climate range — open one for its full printable calendar, or find your own dates with the ZIP planner.

Computed by counting from each location's NOAA 1991–2020 average frost dates.
Location Zone Start indoors Plant out First harvest
Adak, AK 8b — Jun 7 – Jun 14 Jul 27 – Aug 6
Fort Payne, AL 7b — Apr 5 – Apr 12 May 25 – Jun 4
Saratoga, AR 8b — Apr 2 – Apr 9 May 22 – Jun 1
Top-of-the-World, AZ 8a — Mar 3 – Mar 10 Apr 22 – May 2
Half Moon Bay, CA 10a — Feb 13 – Feb 20 Apr 4 – Apr 14
Rohnert Park, CA 9a — Mar 7 – Mar 14 Apr 26 – May 6
Ellicott, CO 6a — May 13 – May 20 Jul 2 – Jul 12
Millsboro, DE 7b — Apr 11 – Apr 18 May 31 – Jun 10
Yankeetown, FL 9b — Mar 7 – Mar 14 Apr 26 – May 6
Volcano, HI 11a — year-round —
Boise, ID 7a — May 1 – May 8 Jun 20 – Jun 30
Effingham, IL 6b — Apr 20 – Apr 27 Jun 9 – Jun 19
Indianapolis, IN 6a — Apr 28 – May 5 Jun 17 – Jun 27
Minneapolis, KS 6b — Apr 27 – May 4 Jun 16 – Jun 26
Bayou Blue, LA 9b — Feb 12 – Feb 19 Apr 3 – Apr 13
Glen Burnie, MD 8a — Apr 17 – Apr 24 Jun 6 – Jun 16
Elk Rapids, MI 6a — May 7 – May 14 Jun 26 – Jul 6
Dawson, MN 4b — May 10 – May 17 Jun 29 – Jul 9
Cayuga, OK 7a — Apr 22 – Apr 29 Jun 11 – Jun 21
Cleveland, MS 8b — Mar 21 – Mar 28 May 10 – May 20
Island Park, ID 4a — Jun 22 – Jun 29 Aug 11 – Aug 21
Hickory, NC 8a — Apr 7 – Apr 14 May 27 – Jun 6
Litchville, ND 4a — May 17 – May 24 Jul 6 – Jul 16
Plainview, NE 5b — May 7 – May 14 Jun 26 – Jul 6
Capulin, NM 5b — May 24 – May 31 Jul 13 – Jul 23
Gabbs, NV 6b — May 8 – May 15 Jun 27 – Jul 7
Madrid, NY 4b — May 6 – May 13 Jun 25 – Jul 5
London, OH 6a — May 1 – May 8 Jun 20 – Jun 30
Perkins, OK 7b — Apr 10 – Apr 17 May 30 – Jun 9
Shedd, OR 8b — Mar 21 – Mar 28 May 10 – May 20
Seltzer, PA 6a — Apr 23 – Apr 30 Jun 12 – Jun 22
Custer, SD 5a — May 30 – Jun 6 Jul 19 – Jul 29
Lynchburg, TN 7b — Apr 14 – Apr 21 Jun 3 – Jun 13
Early, TX 8a — Mar 29 – Apr 5 May 18 – May 28
Ozona, TX 8a — Apr 3 – Apr 10 May 23 – Jun 2
Fillmore, UT 6a — May 11 – May 18 Jun 30 – Jul 10
Hillsville, VA 7a — May 2 – May 9 Jun 21 – Jul 1
Green Bluff, WA 6b — May 29 – Jun 5 Jul 18 – Jul 28
Gordon, WI 4a — May 29 – Jun 5 Jul 18 – Jul 28
Elk Garden, WV 6b — May 7 – May 14 Jun 26 – Jul 6

How to time bush bean

Bush bean is a tender warm-season legume. Tender crops are damaged by any frost, so plant them out only after the danger of frost has passed. Direct-sow 1–2 wk after last frost, once the soil is at least about 60°F. It matures in roughly 50–60 days from sowing. It also works as a fall crop: count back from the first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer.

Find your own dates on the home planner, browse all crops, or read the methodology for the offsets and citations behind these windows.

Frequently asked questions

Is bush bean frost-tolerant?
Bush bean is a tender crop. Tender crops are damaged by any frost, so plant them out only after the danger of frost has passed.
How long does bush bean take to grow?
About 50–60 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on variety and weather. Days-to-maturity ranges are typical values from U.S. Cooperative Extension planting guides.
Can I direct-sow bush bean?
Yes — bush bean is usually direct-sown rather than started indoors. Sow direct-sow about 1–2 weeks after the last frost, once the soil is at least about 60°F.
Can I grow bush bean as a fall crop?
Yes. Bush bean is commonly grown as a second, fall crop by counting back from the average first fall frost by its days-to-maturity plus a short buffer. The per-location pages show a fall planting window where the season allows one.