I don't know about beans, but I pre-planted a couple of rows of potatoes. I figured that it should work since I always have lots of potato volunteers first thing in the spring coming up from the little potatoes I missed the previous year. I'm covering them with a couple of inches of leaves and straw. Beans aren't planted that deep, so maybe you can try that too. It's just an experiment if you have plenty of seed, so have some fun.

OK let's try this again. Anyone have knowledge about planting beans (lima and long beans) in the fall to over winter and germinate in the spring??

Thanks,
DL

The only bean I know of that can be planted in your zone in the fall and survive the winter are FAVA BEANS

I have had runner beans volunteer from seed which fell in the Autumn. But I wouldn't pin my hopes on it as a reliable method of growing a crop. A lot, in fact in my climate the majority, will rot off over the winter. Obviously, if you have lots of seed and lots of space there's no downside to trying. But I'm pretty sure you'll need to sow in spring too.

Regarding favas, my Autumn sowing has been in 2 weeks. Even they are prone to rotting and mice so I always do several more sowings in succession in the spring.

I had planted the Insuk runner beans last year. Over the winter the leaves were all gone and it was trimmed to just an inch in height from the ground. This year it came and has produced the best crop till now. I am in zone 9.

Purnim - runner beans are perennial in their native habitat (S America)and in mild areas, like yours, the roots can overwinter. They look a bit like dahlia tubers. They occasionally overwinter in my climate but I doubt very much they would do so in 7b. They will not survive any freezing in the ground. I suspect Dancinglemons' volunteers came from dropped seed rather than roots, but if she mulched heavily and the ground did not freeze it is possible they came from roots.