When to Plant Climbing Beans in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Climbing Beans guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Nov to Jan
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.0
Climbing beans are warm-season legumes that produce heavily over a long season when given a suitable support structure. They include common pole beans (P. vulgaris) and scarlet runner beans (P. coccineus).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov S/T/D
- Dec S/T/D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Climbing Beans in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile loam enriched with compost. Avoid freshly manured soil (excess nitrogen causes leaf growth at expense of pods).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun (minimum 6 hours, preferably 8 hours)
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 80cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular deep watering during flowering and pod set is critical. Inconsistent watering causes flower drop and tough, stringy pods. Water at base, avoid wetting foliage.
- Good companions
- Lettuce, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Radish, Dill
- Keep away from
- Beetroot, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Sunflower (allelopathic inhibition), Tree Onion
- Grow before it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
- Grow after it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
Give the bed 3 turns before legumes go back in. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, so they leave the bed richer than they found it.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Climbing Beans
Recommended Varieties
- Scarlet Runner (best choice)
- Blue Lake (short-season)
Key Challenges
- Very short frost-free season
- Cool nights reducing pod set
- Seeds rot in cold soil
Pro Tips
- Start in pots indoors/greenhouse in October, transplant after last frost
- Use cloche or row cover for first 3 weeks after planting
- Scarlet Runner is the only reliable climbing bean for highland areas
Pests and problems for Climbing Beans in Cold / Highland
- Bean Fly (Bean Stem Fly) Watch
- Bean Rust Rotate beans for at least 2 years. Clear crop debris after harvest. Do not save seed from affected plants. Water at the base. Choose... Watch
- Aphids Watch
- Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) Plant certified virus-free seed. Control aphids rigorously. Choose BCMV-resistant varieties. Do not save seed from infected crops. Watch
- Seeds rot Seeds rot in cold soil Watch
Harvesting Climbing Beans
When ready: Green beans: pods snap crisply when bent, seeds inside are small and immature, pod surface is smooth (not lumpy from enlarged seeds). Shell/dry beans: leave on vine until pods are brown and papery, seeds rattle when shaken.
How to harvest: Hold the stem with one hand and pull the pod with the other to avoid breaking branches. Use scissors for tough stems. Harvest green beans every 2-3 days. For dry beans, cut entire vine and hang upside down to finish drying.
Storing and preserving climbing beans
How to keep it
- Freezing (Green Beans). Top and tail beans. Cut to even lengths or leave whole. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Plunge into ice bath for 3 minutes. Drain well, pat dry, spread on tray to flash-freeze for 2 hours. Transfer to freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Keeps: 12 months.
- Dehydrating. Blanch whole or cut beans for 3 minutes. Drain and arrange in single layer on dehydrator trays. Dry at 60C for 8-14 hours until brittle and snap cleanly. Store in airtight jars. Keeps: 12 months.
- Drying (Shell/Dry Beans). Leave pods on vine until completely dry (brown, papery, seeds rattle). Pick and shell. Spread seeds on trays for 1-2 weeks in airy shade. Store in airtight jars. Freeze for 48h first to kill weevil eggs. Soak overnight and cook as needed. Keeps: 2+ years in cool, dry, dark storage.
- Pickling (Dilly Beans). Pack whole trimmed beans vertically into hot sterilised jars with garlic clove, dill head and chilli. Bring 500ml vinegar, 500ml water, 2 tbsp salt to boil. Pour over beans leaving 1cm headspace. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Keeps: 12 months.
Canning safety. Low-acid vegetables like climbing beans must be pressure canned, never water-bath canned.
Grow vs buy
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 9 plants, about $66 worth at today’s Coles prices, checked today.
That is roughly 5 kg at $14.67 a kilo.
Draw your climbing beans bed → No account needed.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Climbing Beans
When do you plant climbing beans in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Mar, Aug to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Nov to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Aug to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
Can you grow climbing beans all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan, Nov to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Climbing Beans in Canberra?
Very short window: November-December. Frost-free period is the hard constraint. Scarlet Runner is the most reliable choice.
What soil temperature do Climbing Beans need?
Climbing Beans germinate best when soil temperature is between 16°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Climbing Beans are ready to harvest?
Green beans: pods snap crisply when bent, seeds inside are small and immature, pod surface is smooth (not lumpy from enlarged seeds). Shell/dry beans: leave on vine until pods are brown and papery, seeds rattle when shaken.
What are the best Climbing Beans varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Scarlet Runner (best choice), Blue Lake (short-season).
What grows well with Climbing Beans?
Good companion plants for Climbing Beans include: Lettuce, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Radish, Dill.
Are climbing beans salt tolerant?
No. Climbing beans are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.