How to Grow Lima Beans

Lima beans are an interesting crop of beans that grow in the warm season. They are native to Central America, but can be grown elsewhere. They are a very nutritious bean. They are high in protein, thiamine, riboflavin and iron.

So you might ask yourself, “How do I grow lima beans?” It isn’t too difficult. They are similar to snap beans if that helps. However, growing lima beans entails specific requirements culturally.

Because they are native to Central America, they require a soil temperature no lower than 65
degrees F. The 65 degree F. temperature in the soil helps the plants germinate.

How Do Lima Beans Grow?

If you want to know how lima beans grow, you need to learn how to plant lima beans.

1. Start planting your lima beans in about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of deep, warm soil.
2. Space your rows about 2 feet apart.
3. Within the rows, space the seeds 2 to 4 inches apart.
4. After planting lima beans, watch for signs of germination because you will want to thin the  plants to about 4 to 6 inches apart.
5. Watering should be done at a rate of about one inch a week during the time blossoms & pods are developing.
   • If your lima beans lack water during the blossoming time, the flowers will drop prematurely and you won’t get many pods.

Growing lima beans can be done like snap beans in that some are sort of a pole variety and others are a bush variety. When growing lima beans in the bush variety, the Fordhook 242, Henderson’s Bush and Baby Fordhook are the easiest. Growing lima beans is done best at temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F. Summertime is definitely the time to grow lima beans.

When to Harvest Lima Beans

Planting lima beans and growing lima beans is not difficult. Therefore, neither is harvesting them. When to harvest lima beans depends a lot on the weather conditions in your area. When to harvest lima beans varies from variety to variety, with 65 to 75 days being about the average amount of time it takes to make a crop. You can harvest your beans when the pods are bright green in color and well-filled.

Depending on your local temperature and other factors, you can have a great yield of more lima beans that you would use. Therefore, when planting lima beans, you want to be sure you know how to store them. You can store fresh picked lima beans at about 32 degrees F. with 90% humidity for about two weeks. You can also freeze them or can them, depending on your preference.