Planting Time for Beans in Zone 8

by Riley McDaniel
(Grants Pass, Oregon USA)

I want to plant beans this year; such as green beans, butter beans, and black-eyed peas. When should I plant these in the garden is southwestern Oregon, zone 8?


ANSWER:

Green beans, and other types of beans are not frost-hardy. They should be planted about 2 weeks after the last expected frost date.

They also don't grow much until the soil temperature has warmed to about 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, so there is no point in planting them too early.

Some years are colder longer than other years; this year we are having a cold, wet, late spring in northern Oregon. This will make it necessary to delay planting warm-season vegetables such as beans, peppers, squash, and tomatoes for a bit longer than usual.

I would check with a local garden center in Grants Pass, and ask them when most gardeners in the area plant their warm-season vegetables. For zone 8, the planting date can range from May 15th to July 1st. Usually the beginning of June is pretty safe.

If an unexpected frost arrives after you have planted, it will be necessary to cover the seedlings with some fabric to protect them from getting frost-bitten. Fabric works better than plastic for this, as the plastic can transfer the cold to the plants whereas the fabric won't.