Lima Bean growth stages

Home grown lima beans are a summer treat! This is an easy to grow vegetable that produces a heavy crop… READ MORE »

Lima Bean Planting Time

• Lima beans are a tender annual that grow best in air temperature between 60° and 70°F (15-21°C). Some varieties are heat tolerant (up to 110°F) and some are cold tolerant.
• Plant lima beans in the garden 3 to 4 weeks after the average date of the last spring frost when the soil temperature has warmed to 65°F (18°C) or more for at least 5 days.
• Start lima beans indoors as early as 2 or 3 weeks before the average last frost date in the spring to transplant into the garden 3 or 4 weeks after the last frost. Start beans indoors in biodegradable peat pots or paper pots that can be placed completely in the garden so as not to disturb plant roots.
• For continuous harvest through the growing season, plant a succession of bush lima beans every two weeks or follow bush lima beans with long-maturing pole lima beans.
• Lima beans can continue in the garden until the first frost in the fall.
• Pole lima beans require a long growing period and are not a good choice when the season is short.
• Lima beans will not set pods in temperatures above 80°F (26°C) or in cold or wet weather. Time your plantings to avoid hot weather.
• In mild winter regions, lima beans can be sown in autumn for winter harvest.

• Plant lima beans 1½ to 2 inches (4-5cm) deep.
• Plant lima beans 3 to 6 inches (7-15cm) apart; set rows 24 to 30 inches (61-76cm) apart. Bush lima beans do not need to be supported.
• Plant lima beans 6 to 10 inches (15-25cm) apart; set rows 30 to 36 inches (76-91cm) apart. Pole lima beans need support. Set posts, stakes, or supports in place at planting time.
• Pole beans can also be sown in inverted hills-5 or 6 seeds to a hill; space hills 40 inches (101cm) apart.
• Place one seed per hole. Germination will occur in 1 to 3 weeks.
• Strong seedlings spaced 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) apart. Remove the weaker seedlings by cutting them off at soil level with scissors being careful not to disturb the roots of other seedlings.
• Lima beans can be crowded; they will use each other for support.
• Lima bean yield: grow 4 to 8 lima bean plants per family member.
• Avoid adding lima beans to other nitrogen-fixing legumes such as fava beans or green beans; to fix all nitrogen in the soil; too much nitrogen can inhibit pod formation.

Lima Bean Plant Care

The first step in caring for pole lima beans is to install a support system at or shortly after planting. You can use poles to make a teepee, put up a trellis, or use a natural support like a fence. They can also be placed close to a support structure first.

Bush beans need no support, although some gardeners will put stakes at each end of a row and use string or wire around their beans to keep them more upright for easier harvesting.

Cotyledon Leaves

These leaves are often called “seed leaves” because they live mainly on nutrition from the seed, as much as the fetus draws nutrition from the intestine.

Cotyledon leaves act as solar panels for the growing plant, giving energy to the seed and hypocotyl stem so they can produce the larger leaves we expect to see on a lima bean plant.

Mature Plant Stage

In this stage, the plant becomes mature. The development continues, and there are bigger leaves, longer roots, and bigger crawling vines. During this period, sunlight is essential. It will spend about 6 to 8 hours in the sun. He needs more food. Also, watering is necessary to help it thrive well, and fertilizer is also excellent. You can use organic materials to improve the soil, such as compost. Mulch will also help retain soil moisture. When the lima bean plant becomes mature, it becomes ready to flower. A few days or weeks to wait, and the flowers will begin to show.

After two or three months, the lima beans will reach their flowering stage. It will turn blue with purple flowers. The flowers look like little butterflies on the leaves. It grows more on the vines. But not all flowers will develop. Some will not develop or become pods; they fall. It is normal when the flowers do not turn into pods and fall because only some will grow, but the plant may have problems if many flowers fall. Be careful not to over water or over fertilize your plant.