Green beans (bush) planting calendar for USDA Zone 6a

Western NC mountains, southern PA, central OH, northern MO. Average last spring frost May 1, first fall frost October 1 — a 153-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good
Green beans (bush) is frost-tender, so timing the outdoor transplant to the last frost matters more here than in warmer zones. Row cover buys 2 weeks of head start.

Key dates

Direct-seed outdoors
May 1 – May 22
Expected first harvest
July 2 – July 30
Fall planting window
July 16 – August 6
Fall harvest window
September 16 – October 14

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing
4″
Row spacing
24″
Seed depth
1″
Soil temperature
65–85°F
Frost tolerance
tender
Days to harvest
55 days

Grower notes for Zone 6a

Do not soak seed — beans rot easily. Successive plantings every 2 weeks until 60 days before first frost.

Plant near: corn, cucumbers, carrots

Keep away from: onions, garlic

Other legumes for Zone 6a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.

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