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Field Crops, Grains & OilseedsDry Bean Planting Calendar
Dry edible beans include several market classes, such as pinto, navy and black beans. They all share a dislike of cold soil and frost.
Key points
- Dry beans are frost-tender and prefer warm, well-drained soil.
- NASS windows mostly fall between late May and mid June in the main northern states.
- Choose the market class and variety before setting a planting date.
- Plan rotation and disease management with your extension office.
What do dry beans need at planting?
Dry beans are a warm-season legume. Seeds can rot in cold, wet soil, and seedlings are easily killed by frost. Extension programs generally advise waiting until the soil has warmed and the last frost has passed. Check the soil temperature guidance from your own state source and measure at seed depth for several mornings in a row.
Dry beans also emerge with the growing point above ground, so a late frost after emergence is more damaging than for corn. That makes your local last frost date an important anchor for planning.
What is the usual dry bean planting window?
USDA NASS lists the most active dry bean planting periods in the October 2010 edition as about May 19 to June 6 in North Dakota, about May 14 to June 7 in Minnesota, about June 3 to June 17 in Michigan, about May 27 to June 16 in Nebraska and about May 28 to June 18 in Colorado. Washington is listed earlier, from about April 20 to May 25, and Idaho from about May 26 to June 9.
Most states plant in late May and June. These windows are averages, so use them to see the general pattern and compare them with your own frost dates and soil conditions.
- Most states plant late May into June
- Washington is listed earlier, from late April
- Use windows as a guide, not a rule
How does market class affect your plan?
Dry beans come in market classes, each with its own varieties, days to maturity and buyer expectations. Some classes are more sensitive to cold or to disease than others. Because buyers often contract by class, decide on the class before you plan planting dates.
If your growing season is short, ask your extension agronomist which classes and varieties mature reliably in your area. A late spring may call for an earlier variety, and your seed supplier can tell you the days to maturity.
What do you need to know about seedbed, fertility and rotation?
Dry beans prefer well-drained soil and do poorly in compacted or waterlogged ground. As legumes, they can host root-nodulating bacteria, but fertility needs vary by soil and region. Use a soil test and follow local recommendations, since nutrient management rules vary by state. Do not guess at amounts.
Rotation matters because dry beans share several diseases with other crops in the same family, and extension programs often recommend a gap of several years between bean crops in the same field. Ask your local specialist for your number.
How do you plan for disease and pests?
Dry beans can suffer from diseases that spread in warm, humid weather, including some that travel on seed. Use clean seed, scout fields and consult your extension plant pathologist for current guidance. Pesticide use follows the label, including pre-harvest intervals. Applicator licensing rules vary by state, and pollinators should be protected by following label directions.
Plan harvest too. Dry beans are typically cut or pulled and dried in the field, and rain at the wrong time can hurt quality. Ask extension about harvest timing for your class.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Planting into cold, wet soil is the most common. Next is ignoring rotation and bringing back disease. Another is skipping a market conversation and growing a class that no local buyer wants. Keep records of planting date, class, variety, emergence and harvest. Over time, those notes will tell you more than any statewide table.
- Cold, wet planting conditions
- Short rotation intervals
- No market plan for the class grown
How can a worked example help you pick a planting date?
Suppose your average last spring frost falls around the middle of May and the soil has held at a good temperature for several mornings by the third week. You might plan to start beans in late May, then watch the forecast for a cold snap. If a frost is predicted for the days after emergence, you hold off even if the calendar says go.
That is an example of the method, not a date for your farm. Variety days to maturity, soil and market class all change the answer, so compare your plan with local variety trials and ask your extension agent what has worked nearby.
Keep a note of the date, the weather in the first two weeks and the final stand. One season of notes is useful, and five seasons of notes lets you spot patterns, such as which fields warm up first or which ones are slow to drain.
Timing at a glance
| Item | Window | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Dry edible beans, North Dakota | Most active planting from about May 19 to June 6 | Usual dates describe typical field activity in that state, not a safe date for your farm. Check your own last frost date, soil temperature and your state extension guide. |
| Dry edible beans, Minnesota | Most active planting from about May 14 to June 7 | Usual dates describe typical field activity in that state, not a safe date for your farm. Check your own last frost date, soil temperature and your state extension guide. |
| Dry edible beans, Michigan | Most active planting from about June 3 to June 17 | Usual dates describe typical field activity in that state, not a safe date for your farm. Check your own last frost date, soil temperature and your state extension guide. |
| Dry edible beans, Washington | Most active planting from about April 20 to May 25 | Usual dates describe typical field activity in that state, not a safe date for your farm. Check your own last frost date, soil temperature and your state extension guide. |
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.