You should be fine to plant green beans now. Bush and pole beans are supposed to produce about 60 days from breaking the soil. That would put you around September 1, so you're good to go with either kind.

Yeah, you could plant them now and get some before fall. You just wouldn't get as many.

I say this because I'm in zone 4 and most people around here don't plant beans until the middle or later part of May. Let's say 30 days ago. My Kentucky Wonder pole beans were ready for first harvest last year around the end of July. Let's say 30 days from now. So if you plant now, since they're not day-length sensitive, but they are temperature sensitive and will sprout faster because it's warmer than May, you'd be getting first harvest at the end of August. You'd have, at best, probably a month of harvesting before they're done for by frost. Maybe longer if we have a good fall, but rust usually sets in when the temperatures dip.

Bush beans might produce faster. Take a look at them too. It's not too late, it's just too late to be optimal. I'm pretty sure they'll still fruit this season.

agree, beans will still work for you this year.

Do pay attention to the DTM (days to maturity). While not a terribly accurate thing, they do help differentiate those varieties quick to mature from those slower to mature. At this point prefer those faster to mature.

Still, no worries, the heat right now is ideal for them and they will grow/mature rapidly whereas beans planted 'on time' in our zone started out a bit slow in many areas due to cool temps.

Laura,

You've got plenty of time. You should also plant for a fall garden.

Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area determined by universities and horticultural research scientists who have collected data from growing those crops in your state. Your tax dollars are already paying for this service so you may as well get some use out of it.

Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf) complete with spring and fall planting dates (underneath the spring planting dates for appropriate crops), how much to plant per person, etc. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area.

See how detailed this example is:

{{gwi:4005}}

Wow!! This is a super fast forum! I can't believe the response. I will pick up some beans and choose a variety with a short day to maturity.

This is my first summer in our new house and I rather slapped together a garden as best I could to get some tomatoes and cucumbers going (my essentials). They are doing great now but I keep reading about pickling "dilly beans" in the harvest forum and am really regretting leaving out beans in my haste to get the 'maters in.

Thanks a bunch everyone.

Laura

I just planted 2 rows of beans where I pulled the last of the green onions. Gave the garden a good soaking after. There's still plenty of time for a good crop here in zone 5 ,just south of Buffalo.

Here in the Chicago area, I usually get in two plantings per summer. I plant the first at the end of May, harvest them about the end of July and then replant for a fall crop.I plant bush beans wich tend to produce a bumper crop in a short period of time, not sure about pole beans though. So in short, you have plenty of time.

Greenmulberry

You've inspired me! I have an ancient packet of Fordhook Limas, and I think I'm gonna plant them in my mulch pile! The packet says they take 75 days to mature, and that puts a harvest in September, but I'm gonna go for it if they germinate.

My mulch pile was accidentally growing potatoes, and I pulled them up to see how they were doing, found a bunch of baby russets (not my favorites), so that area's available now. I'll rake the hills down tomorrow and plant away!

See what a simple question can trigger! It ought to add some good nitrogen to the pile as well in the long run.

Thanks.

anney,

Here is your Georgia Vegetable Planting Calendar.

Laura,

Here is your Iowa Vegetable Planting Calendar along with Suggested Vegetable Varieties for Iowa

You still have plenty of time to plant the fall garden. Here's what I'll be doing:
early July - late cukes, rutabagas
mid July - fall carrots, beets, kale, collards
early August - turnips, Asian radishes, tat soi,
early September - fall lettuces,
late September/early October - fall and spring spinach (overwintered)

Violet

Thanks, but I don't need a Georgia Vegetable Planting Calendar for limas. If they germinate despite their age, they'll grow.

If you are willing to gamble a little you can have a fantastic fall been harvest that can even be extended over a month long period with a little help from a row cover.

I planted my 3rd crop last night in zone 6. but I figure I can plant one more time around July 15-20. Keep in mind that as days and nights get cooler the plants will grow slower than now but the flipside of that is that once the beans are formed in the fall they just hang on the plant and don't overmature nearly as fast.

anney,

I didn't provide the calendar just for the beans. It's a reference that can come in handy from year to year.

*wink*

Thanks a bunch Violet, those Iowa guides are just what I need, I was wondering about when to plant several other things too!

greenmulberry,

My pleasure. Let us know how your fall planting goes!

My second garden wasnt planted until the 4th of July!!!It was a beautyfull garden and nothing didnt come in!!With what seems like longer summers now or warmer falls,you SHOULD do fine!!!

I'm in zone 5 (michigan) and planted a row o beans last year at the end of July/begining of august. I missed it by about a week. My beans were not many and the ones that were there didn't make it before it frosted. If I'd a had a week or two longer.... so you are fine.

How bout peas?? Will they work for a late planting?

I'm not sure if I'm in zone 5a, 5b, depends on which map you look at. I'm in Cleveland, we planted in mid May, EVERYTHING was eaten, parsley, basil, beans, peppers, sage...EVERYTHING.

We are still planting beans, we are even starting them indoors today and transplanting them into the garden as soon as they sprout.