How to grow runner beans
Frost-tender · Legume family
When to sow and plant
- Sow outdoors 6–20 May
- Plant out 6–20 May
Frost-tender: everything 17 days later, so it only goes outside once there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years.
Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May
Planting calendar for your areaWhere the dates come from
The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.
- Sow outdoors: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (RHS: How to grow runner beans)
- Plant out: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (RHS: How to grow runner beans)
Good and bad neighbours
Good neighbours · 1
White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Pak choiExpert rule· C
Legumes fix nitrogen that cabbage can use – but it is only released once their roots rot.
C: Expert rule with a reason
White cabbageRed cabbageSavoy cabbageCauliflowerBroccoliBrussels sproutsKaleKohlrabiChinese cabbagePak choi
Crop rotation
After the legume family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years).
- The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
- Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2030.
At a glance
- Family
- Legume family (Fabaceae)
- Frost
- Tender to frost
- Spacing (row × plant)
- 45–60 × 15–30 cm (18–24 × 6–12 in)
- Plants per m²
- 14.8
- Life cycle
- Annual
- Harvest
- After 75–85 days
Questions and answers
When can I plant out runner beans?
Plant out, average for Germany: 6–20 May. That is the date after which there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.
How far apart should I plant runner beans?
45–60 × 15–30 cm (18–24 × 6–12 in) (row × plant), according to RHS: How to grow runner beans.
What grows well next to runner beans?
White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Pak choi: Good neighbour (C).
How long a break do runner beans need in the same bed?
After the legume family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
More from the legume family
Sources
Show 8 sources
- RHS: How to grow runner beans
- University of Maryland Extension: Growing Beans in a Home Garden
- Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
- Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
- Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
- RHS: Growing Your Own – The three sisters
- BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.