One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

One way of getting a good idea when it's the best time to plant scarlet runner beans is to consult the USDA zone info for Tumwater.

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.

Scarlet Runner Beans do not do well in cold weather which tells us that you have to wait until it warms up after the last frost before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant scarlet runner beans in Tumwater 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. Any later than that and your scarlet runner beans may not have a chance to grow to maturity. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your scarlet runner beans indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is March 15 in Tumwater. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of 10°F.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Tumwater is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Tumwater last frost occurs after March 15 so make sure that you are prepared to cover your scarlet runner beans in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Tumwater

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 Tumwater

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Tumwater.