Lima Bean Plant

The lima bean is a legume grown for its edible seed or pod. It is in the Fabaceae family and is native to America. The lima bean is an annual vegetable.

Lima Bean Plant

Scientific Name Phaseolus luantas
Common Name Butter bean, sieva bean, chad bean, Madagascar bean, wax bean, double bean
Hardiness Semi-hardy
Indoor/outdoor Outdoor
Sun exposure Full sun
Water Needs to be moist until germination and one inch of water per week
Size Pole beans 12 feet high, bush beans 2 to 3 feet high
Soil and pH Loose, moist,well-draining soil with a pH of 6 to 6.8
Flower Small white or yellow clusters
Growing difficulty Do not like extremes and grow best 70 degrees F. They are not frost-hardy.

Lima Bean Appearance

Lima Bean Plant Appearance

There are two types of beans: bush plants and pole types.

Care for both types are pretty much the same, but harvesting time and spacing are different.

Bush lima beans, sometimes called Butter beans, grow about two feet tall, bear pods quickly, and have small seeds.

Pole beans can grow up to 12 feet tall, have larger seeds, and have a longer growing season.

Lima Bean Growing Guide

Lima beans do not like extreme temperatures and do best around 70 degrees F.

They do better in warmer climates than prolonged cool temperatures.

They are not frost-hardy and do best in full sunlight, so pick a good spot.

You may want to rotate crops each year to different areas of the garden so balance nutrients.

There are two basic varieties, bush and pole types.

Growing Lima beans - bush and pole types

Bush types grow two to three feet tall and may need staking.

As the name implies, Pole beans need support, as the stems can grow 10 feet or more in some instances.

Plant four to six seeds on each side of a trellis or teepee.

Prepare the soil.

Lima beans like to grow in evenly moist, loose, well-draining soil.

They like a PH about 6 to 6.8.

Plant the beans when the soil is 65 degrees Fahrenheit and the air temperature is 65 to 80 degrees F.

Beans pods will not set if the weather is too hot.

Note, they should germinate within 18 days.

Set up your support system or a plant near a trellis, fence, or teepee.

Doing this will help your beans climb throughout the growing season.

Top Tip: I like to gently help the delicate tendrils find the support sticks or poles I have provided for them as I weed and water.

Plant beans directly into the garden one and a half to two inches deep.

Bush plants should be spaced three to six inches apart in rows two and a half to three feet apart.

Place the beans six to twelve inches apart for pole beans in rows two and a half to three feet apart.

Water well and keep the soil moist until good germination.

Be careful not to overwater or make the soil too soggy.

Care Guide

Add mulch when the temperature is above 60 degrees F.

Doing this is important as the soil dries out in hot climates.

Putting a nice layer of mulch around your new plants can help keep the roots cool and the temperature even.

Fertilize

Lima beans do not require fertilization, but adding a dose of fertilizer carefully about mid-season can help your second wave of plants.

Use aged compost around the plants.

Beans do not need extra nitrogen as they fix their own.

High nitrogen fertilizer can actually stunt pod growth.

Bush types set their entire crop at once and are harvested for a set time of about two weeks.

It is advisable to “succession” plant a row every three to four weeks between the last frost days in Spring to the last few weeks before the first frost, as they are not frost-hardy.

You can plant both bush and pole plants to ensure bean harvest throughout the season.

Succession planting means you stagger planting crops to extend your harvest.

Top Tip: Rather than planting all your bush beans at once and having a feast or famine situation, try to plant part of the row at the beginning of the season and plant the rest two to four weeks later.

As the first beans start to finish, you can either replant that area or use a different crop. Choose plants that like the cold, like broccoli, cabbage, or kale.

Water

These plants need water, and the soil should be moist until germination.

These are one plant that is not recommended to soak seeds before planting as the seeds may crack and germinate poorly if the soil moisture is too high.

Too much soaking can cause the seed to rot and decompose; this is why it is also important not to overwater when planting or sowing seeds.

Lima beans like it hot but need at least one inch of water per week (more in hot, dry weather).

It is advisable to mulch around the roots to keep the ground cool.

Once the plant starts to flower and to set pods, make sure they do not experience drought, as they will drop the flowers and pods if they are stressed.

Light

Phaseolus luantas plants love the full sun.

They need about an inch of water per week and plenty of water when flowering and setting pods.

Soil

Lima beans like growing in loose, moist soil with a pH level of between 6 to 6.8.

Ensure the soil also has good drainage.

Potting/repotting

Some people choose to start their garden indoors because of the short growing seasons.

Lima bean plants can be started in small pots and transferred into the garden when there is no concern for frost and the temperatures are above 60 degrees F.

Plants need to have organically rich, loose, moist soil with adequate sunlight or a grow light.

The seeds should be planted two to three weeks before you want to transplant them into the ground.

Plant one to two weeks after the last spring frost.

Do not move them around once planted and water accordingly.

If you are planting a bush variety, you can just put the starter plant in the ground after removing any plastic.

Some people use peat cups and plant them directly into the ground, thus disturbing the root system less.

If you are using pole varieties, you should put your poles in first and transplant them next to the pole.

You do not want to destroy any root system while tapping in a pole or support stick.

Transport and transfer with gentle care, the lima beans need lots of TLC and must be transferred with care, making sure to preserve the fragile root system that has grown.

Water but do not overwater your plants; make sure they are planted in well-draining soil.

Propagation/Pruning

Gardeners should pick pods as soon as they are plump to extend the flowering.

When seeds mature and no more flowers are formed, the plant will die, therefore do not leave too many old pods on the plant.

Pods left too long will become tough and woody.

Note: Bush lima beans should produce two to three pickings per season.

Pole beans may need to be pruned during the growing season.

Remove any growth (including other pole plants) within a six to eight-inch radius of your plant.

If you want to save seeds for next year’s crop, leave some seed pods on the vines, let them dry out on the plant, and then bring them inside to finish drying.

Collect the seeds and place them in an envelope.

Label and store your seeds and store in a dry, dark place.

The plants will die in temperatures 10 to 15 degrees F.

Dead plants can be broken up and added to compost piles.

Pull up the dead plants, leaves, stems, and anything else leftover.

The organic matter left over from your crop will be a nice addition to your compost pile.

If any bean or leaf is diseased, do not add it to compost.

Growing Lima Bean Advantages

Phaseolus luantas are edible plants that love the sun.

They, like many Legumes, are full of vitamins (especially B), and minerals and have a low-glycemic index making them good for people who have diabetes.

Lima Bean Advantages

Beans are rich in soluble fiber, which helps the body absorb carbohydrates slowly, thus regulating blood sugars and helps lower cholesterol.

Eating lima beans can help eradicate sulfites from the body.

Lima Bean Diseases, Pests, and Problems

Lima beans should be regularly checked for pests like aphids and mites.

Pick off the eggs as soon as you see them and spay your plants down to dislodge the pests.

You can get rid of aphids and mites by wiping your plant’s leaves with a water and dish soap solution and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Aphids on Lima beans plant

Some people use one-half alcohol to one part water. The mixture should not hurt the plant.

The soapy water should be reapplied every 2-3 days for about two weeks.

The soap suffocates the aphids and mites.

Mites can be repelled by neem oil diluted with water and sprayed on the plants.

If that does not work, try insecticidal soap, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: These plants are also susceptible to blight and plant cankers (anthracnose).

Lima Bean Seeds

Seed Needs, Henderson Lima Bush Bean

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Christmas Pole Lima Bean Seeds

 

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Butter Bean Seeds

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FAQs

What is the origin and history of lima bean cultivation?

Phaseolus lunatus is found in Meso and South America, stemming from two gene pools of cultivated lima beans that seemed to happen independently.

Mesoamerican limas started in the neotropical lowlands, while the South American varieties started in the mountains of the Andes in areas that are now Peru.

Domestication of the Andes strain occurred around 2000 BC producing a large seed, while the second bean from the lowlands occurred later around 800 AD and was more of the sieva (small seed) variety.

Around 1300 AD, cultivation spread north of the Rio Grande, and around 1500AD, the plant began to be cultivated in the Old World (Europe).

The Sieva type is found throughout Mexico to Argentina, below 5,200 feet above sea level, and the Peruvian type is found 1,050 to 6,660 feet above sea level.

Why are they called Lima beans?

During the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru existed. They exported lima beans to the Americas and Europe.

The crates of beans were labeled to indicate that they came from the province of Lima (the capital of Peru), so the name stuck.

The pronunciation differed from the name of the capital (Lee-ma and not Li-mah).

Most likely, the beans were shipping from El Callao, a vital trade route in and out of Peru.

In fact, it is the biggest and one of the few natural harbors in the country.

The common name, ‘Butter bean’ (P. lunatus var. Macrocarpus, or P. limensis), is mostly used in North and South Carolina.

Lima and butter beans are considered two different types of beans, although they are the same species.

Lima beans are small and green, where Butter beans are big and yellow. They are very common in Southern cooking.

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