How to Grow Lima Beans

If you were one of those kids who actually ate their lima beans, you may enjoy growing your own.

Step 1: Determine type
Determine which variety of lima bean you want to grow and decide whether you want to grow a bush or a pole plant.

Step 2: Start indoors
Start your seedlings indoors 2 to 3 weeks before you intend to transplant them. Do not move the plants outside until after the last frost, and not until the soil temperature averages 65 degrees.

Tip
Use peat pots, since these can be transplanted whole without uprooting and potentially traumatizing your seedlings.

Step 3: Plant
Plant your seeds 1 inch deep in loose soil that is compost-rich, spaced 6 inches apart in rows that are 2½ feet apart. If you're growing pole plants, add support at the time of transplantation.

Step 4: Thin the herd
Thin your germinated seeds to an average of 5 inches apart, or space them this way when transplanting. Take care not to disturb the root systems when you're removing the weaker seedlings.

Step 5: Care for the plants
Water your plants with 1 inch of water per week, but be careful not to disturb the flowers. Beans do not need nitrogen added to their soil, but you should keep the plants free from pests.

Step 6: Harvest
Harvest your beans when the pods are plump and bright green, usually 70 days or so for bush plants and up to 90 days for pole plants. Expect up to three harvests if you pick the beans regularly.

Step 7: Enjoy
Enjoy your lima beans, and, after all that hard work, don’t let anyone feed them to the dog.

Did You Know?
Lima beans have been grown for over 8,000 years and are named after the capital city of Peru.

[geraroth]

we just could not do without all that so very annoying piano-banging

[rock]

I was one of the few kids who actually liked lima beans. Guilty as charged! I always request that my mom make them as a side dish for every Thanksgiving dinner. I don't understand why some people dislike them, but hey, to each their own.

[HiltTilt]

Why do you gotta throw shade at the dog?

[WorshipInTruth]

"Water your plants with one inch of water."?? Now how much water is that exactly??

[sensitiveplant]

My favorite is the TickleMe Plant. It is easy to grow from seeds and the leaves fold up like crazy when you Tickle It!

[tatyanafadden]

I was trying hard to not listen crazy slapstick music on the back. It's all what I hear.

[Roar]

this didn't give much info but if you think i'm going to waste my time with that expertvillege video featured after... really think again

[terryphelps]

Is the Fordhook 242 a pole or bush lima bean? What’s the difference?

[AppleSlicesUnite]

how deep do i put the lima bean in the dirt?

[bubbaXzone]

why did i type "lima beans" in the youtube search bar of all topics.