Latest I can plant beans and peas

[danamillette]

Can someone tell me the latest I can plant garden beans and peas? Had a pretty bad storm come thru and they are looking pretty bad. I live in Northern Wisconsin.

Thanks!
Dana

 

[catjac1975]

I don't know your climate but here in Massachusetts in zone 6 I am planting pole beans now as a second bean crop. The peas were done, pulled up and tilled. I have harvested beans as late as November where I had to cover the plants when frost was predicted. That is very late and unusual. I always feel experimentation is the best teacher. You can never tell what a season will bring. If you have the seed and the time why not give it a try? I will also plant lettuce and radishes which will surely have time. Peas might bring me luck at this time. You can keep a log but, each year your outcome will be different.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Could you try calling your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, and ask them. They should be able to give you local information that only someone in your area can.

Wisconsin is way up there. Its going to get cool soon and days are getting shorter. If I had to guess, Id think you still have time for green peas if you do it real soon but beans may be getting tight. If I tried a bean at all Id try a bush bean, not a pole bean, but I really dont know your climate. It may be too late but a neighbor or your county extension agent would know a lot better than me.

Good luck!

 

[MontyJ]

Peas would probably be OK. Beans will depend on the variety as some mature later than others. One way to tell would be to find the earliest expected frost. Count backwards from that date to the planting date. Subtract 10 days for germination time and see how many days are left. If the beans you want to plant have a days to maturity within a week either way of the number you ended up with, go for it.

For example:

First expected frost date = October 15

Planting date = August 3

74 growing days till frost

74 - 10 days for germination = 64 days

Days to maturity = 65 days

Go for it.

 

[digitS']

I used to think that I had ALL of July to plant bush beans . . . a couple of misses convinced me that I'd better stop at a sowing on July 15th. Those have always come thru.

I will sow some snow pea seed tomorrow. DW has already told me I'm too late - last day of the month. Still, I have sown seed for snow peas the last week of July a number of times and have come up a winner! However, and keep this in mind, I am happy to have the tender tendrils. Picked with the flower on them, they are real pretty in a salad but I'll usually have them cooked and, often, I'll have a nice harvest of pods.

Count backwards as MontyJ suggests and give it a try!

Steve :tools