USDA Zone 6 planting calendar
When to plant bush beans in USDA zone 6
Sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 6's 180-day season (Southern Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, parts of mid-Atlantic).
Key dates for bush beans in zone 6
| Stage | When | Anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Direct sow outdoors | early May (May 5) | 10 days after last frost (mid- to late April) |
| First harvest (estimate) | late June (June 29) | ~55 days from sow |
Dates are zone-wide averages. Local microclimates (south-facing slopes, urban heat, lakeside warmth, elevation) can shift the planting window by 1-2 weeks within the same zone.
Why this timing works for zone 6
Zone 6 has average annual minimum temperatures of -10 to 0°F and a 180-day frost-free window from mid- to late April to mid- to late October. Bush beans are tender — they need soil above 16 °C to grow and stop fruiting once nights drop below 10 °C. That puts the safe outdoor planting window after the last spring frost passes, and the harvest closes when fall temperatures arrive.
Bush beans hate cold, wet soil — seed will rot below 16 °C. Wait 7-14 days after the last spring frost and sow direct in warm soil. Succession-plant every 2-3 weeks for a continuous harvest.
Quick-grow guide
- Sun: Full sun — 6-8 hours direct.
- Soil temperature for germination: 18-29 °C (65-85 °F).
- Spacing: 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) between plants.
- Days to harvest from direct sow: ~55 days.
- Wait until night temperatures stay above 10 °C — cold soil stunts warm-season crops permanently.
Common mistakes — zone 6 × bush beans
- Planting before last frost: zone 6's last frost averages mid- to late April, and even a light frost will kill bush beans seedlings overnight.
- Skipping hardening off: even healthy indoor transplants need 7-10 days of progressive outdoor exposure before going in the ground.
Source and methodology
Frost-date averages from NOAA Climate Data Online within each USDA hardiness zone. Hardiness zone boundaries from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023). Crop timing offsets calibrated against US Cooperative Extension Service publications (UNL, UMN, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS) and cross-checked against the RHS sowing calendar for en-GB readers. Curated by the Growli editorial team.
Keep going
- How to grow bush beans — full guide
- USDA Zone 6 — frost dates and what else to plant
- All 13 USDA hardiness zones
Same crop, nearby zones
- When to plant bush beans in USDA zone 4
- When to plant bush beans in USDA zone 5
- When to plant bush beans in USDA zone 7
- When to plant bush beans in USDA zone 8