One of the first steps you take when you are getting a good idea your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

A way of making a decision about when to plant scarlet runner beans is to use the USDA zone info for The Colony.

Planting Calendar for Scarlet Runner Beans

Frost tolerance for scarlet runner beans:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant scarlet runner beans until after the last frost because they do not do well in cold weather.

The earliest that you can plant scarlet runner beans in The Colony is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant scarlet runner beans and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your scarlet runner beans may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your scarlet runner beans indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in The Colony. You can expect an average low temperature of 10°F in the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for The Colony is just an average and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in The Colony you get surprised by a frost after March 15 be ready to protect your scarlet runner beans if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for The Colony

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in The Colony

You may be interested in your other planting guides for The Colony.