Rainline Garden My garden plan
A bowl of long green beans set on the grass
Photo: Pexels

When to plant pole beans in Hood River, OR

Plant pole beans from seed, directly in the garden in Hood River, Apr 27 – Jun 1.

Easy Plant seeds in the ground

Why these dates

Hood River's typical last spring frost is April 20. Frost kills pole beans, so planting starts once frost risk drops, around April 27. Keep row cover or a frost blanket handy for the first couple of weeks, since a late frost is still possible.

Columbia Basin and low eastern valleys. Hot, dry summers and quick spring warm-up. Warm crops go in earlier than west of the Cascades, and irrigation matters more than rain.

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
4 to 6 inches apart along a trellis
Planting depth
1 inch deep
Frost
Killed by frost
First harvest
About 65 days after planting

Step by step

  1. Prepare the bed: loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
  2. Plant seeds Apr 27 – Jun 1, 1 inch deep, 4 to 6 inches apart along a trellis.
  3. Keep the soil evenly moist until sprouts appear, which can take one to three weeks in cool soil.
  4. Harvest: Pick when pods are pencil-thick and before the seeds bulge. Picking every few days keeps the vines producing.

Varieties that do well here

  • Blue Lake FM-1K
  • Kentucky Wonder
  • Fortex

Watch out for

Seeds rot in cold, wet soil, the most common Northwest bean failure. Wait for warm soil.

Climb 6 to 8 feet and keep producing for weeks. Put up the trellis before you sow. Like bush beans, they need warm soil.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Hood River, OR?

Typically April 20. In 9 years out of 10, frost is over by May 9. These are 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for Hood River.

Is it too late to plant pole beans in Hood River?

The spring planting window runs through June 1. Later plantings may not have time to produce before the first fall frost, which usually arrives around October 13.

How long until I can harvest pole beans?

About 65 days after planting. Pick when pods are pencil-thick and before the seeds bulge. Picking every few days keeps the vines producing.

Also plant in Hood River around the same time

Planting dates for pole beans in nearby areas

Full planting calendar for Hood River · Pole beans in every city