When to Plant Snake Beans in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Snake Beans guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Oct to Jan
- 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 Cool Temperate
- Jan D
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Snake Beans in Cool Temperate 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.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Snake Beans
Recommended Varieties
- Yard Long
- Black Seeded
Key Challenges
- Frost
- Poor pod fill in cool weather
- Snails
Pro Tips
- Choose a sheltered, sunny spot
- Wait until the soil is warm
- Protect seedlings from snails
Pests and problems for Snake Beans in Cool Temperate
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
Can you grow snake beans all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jan, Oct to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Snake Beans in Melbourne?
Diggers lists January and October to December for cool areas. Green Harvest says wait until late October or early November in cold temperate areas. The crop needs 12 to 15 weeks of frost free weather, so choose the warmest, most sheltered spot. Poor pod fill can occur in cool conditions (Seeds of Plenty).
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 are the best Snake Beans varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Yard Long, Black Seeded.
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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.