Crop timing
When to sow runner beans in the UK
The short answer, on 26 October
Not this year. The next sowing is indoors from mid April, or outside from mid May. If your runner beans are finished, see where peas and beans go next.
Runner beans are frost tender and want warm soil. The RHS waits until all risk of frost has passed and the soil reaches 12°C, which it puts at mid May in the south and early June in the north.
The runner bean year at a glance
Sowing and picking months are from Vercro's crop catalogue. The catalogue has no planting-out window for runner beans raised indoors, so that row is the RHS guidance (late May or early June).
| Window | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow indoorsApril to May | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: yes | May: yes | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Sow outsideMay to June | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: yes | June: yes | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Plant out (RHS)May to June | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: yes | June: yes | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| PickJuly to October | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: no | June: no | July: yes | August: yes | September: yes | October: yes | November: no | December: no |
Growing time in the catalogue: 60 to 80 days from sowing. Family: Fabaceae.
Your dates
Add your postcode for your area's usual frost dates, and what they mean for runner bean.
Want every crop at once, or a greenhouse? Open the full sowing tool.
How late frosts run across the UK
Why the south can sow earlier than the north: average days of air frost in April, May and June, 1996 to 2025.
| Station | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camborne87 m above sea level | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heathrow25 m above sea level | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Yeovilton20 m above sea level | 4.1 | 0.6 | 0 |
| Sutton Bonington48 m above sea level | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0 |
| Durham102 m above sea level | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0 |
| Leuchars10 m above sea level | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0 |
| Braemar339 m above sea level | 11.1 | 4.9 | 0.7 |
What changes the answer
Soil temperature
The RHS figure is 12°C. Seed in cold soil is slow and often rots.North or south
The RHS gives mid May in the south and early June in the north for outdoor sowing.Indoors or outside
Sowing indoors from mid April gets plants ready for late May or early June; sowing outside waits for the soil.Supports
Runner beans climb high. Get the canes or frame in before they go out, not after.
Where the sources differ
Vercro's catalogue and published advice, side by side
Broad agreement on sowing. Vercro's catalogue ends outdoor sowing in June; the RHS wording (“late spring to mid summer”) suggests early July is still possible. The catalogue has no planting-out window for plants raised indoors; the RHS plants them out from late May or early June.
Common timing mistakes
Sowing outside in cold April soil
Beans rot before they come up. Start them indoors if you want a head start.Planting out unhardened plants
Indoor plants need a week or two of hardening off before they go out.Sowing in late July
Past early July the season is too short for a worthwhile crop before autumn.Pulling the roots out after picking
The RHS advises cutting the plants down and leaving the roots in the soil to boost nitrogen.
How Vercro handles this in a real garden
Vercro records each runner bean planting on its bed. Each morning Today shows the jobs that matter, using your postcode's forecast and how far along the plants are, and says so when nothing needs doing.
When the beans come out, the bed keeps a record that peas and beans grew there, which the rotation check uses next time.
Frequently asked questions
Keep going
Where this comes from
Crop windows, growing times and plant families come from Vercro's own curated crop catalogue, the same data the Vercro app uses. Where a published source says something different, we show both rather than choosing the convenient one. Reviewed 19 September 2026.
- Runner beans: grow your own, Royal Horticultural Society. Read 19 September 2026.
- Historic station data (monthly air frost days, 1996 to 2025), Met Office, Open Government Licence v3.0. Read 19 September 2026.
Keep your beans on the right bed
Add where your runner beans are growing. Today shows the few jobs that matter each morning, with a short reason for each.