When to Plant Snake 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.
Jump to section
This Snake 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.
- Days to harvest
- about 12 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
Snake beans, also called yard long beans, are a heat loving climbing bean with slim pods 30 to 60 cm long.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
Snake Beans is not recommended for Cold / Highland.
Diggers gives no sowing months for a cold or highland climate. Snake beans are frost tender, need soil between 16 and 29°C and take 12 to 15 weeks to mature, so we rate this zone as not viable. This is our judgement, not a quoted source figure.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Snake Beans included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Snake Beans in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Full sun and soil enriched with organic matter (Diggers). Well drained, because waterlogged soil causes crown and root rot (Seeds of Plenty).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Diggers).
- Spacing
- 30cm apart
- Watering
- Water regularly, especially in flowering and pod development. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and water more in hot or windy weather (Seeds of Plenty). Southern areas need extra watering (Diggers).
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Cucumber, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Rosemary
- Keep away from
- Fennel, Garlic, 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 Snake Beans
Key Challenges
- Frost
- A season too short for 12 to 15 weeks
Pro Tips
- Try a quicker bush bean instead
Pests and problems for Snake Beans in Cold / Highland
Harvesting Snake Beans
When ready: Pick when the pod begins to firm and the beans inside show through, about 2 weeks after flowering (Diggers).
How to harvest: Pick daily once cropping starts. Regular picking encourages more flowers (Diggers, Seeds of Plenty).
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 Snake Beans
When do you plant snake beans in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Apr, Aug to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to May, Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
When should I plant Snake Beans in Canberra?
Diggers gives no sowing months for a cold or highland climate. Snake beans are frost tender, need soil between 16 and 29°C and take 12 to 15 weeks to mature, so we rate this zone as not viable. This is our judgement, not a quoted source figure.
What soil temperature do Snake Beans need?
Snake Beans germinate best when soil temperature is between 16°C and 29°C.
How do I know when Snake Beans are ready to harvest?
Pick when the pod begins to firm and the beans inside show through, about 2 weeks after flowering (Diggers).
What grows well with Snake Beans?
Good companion plants for Snake Beans include: Nasturtium, Cucumber, Carrot, Sweet Corn, Rosemary.
Are snake beans salt tolerant?
Only a little. Snake beans are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
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.