How to grow Bean, Lima?
- Latin Family: Fabaceae
- Latin Genus: Phaseolus
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growing Type: Annual
Lima beans are very much a tropical plant and need a warm climate to grow successfully, although they won’t thrive in extreme heat. Lima beans exist in both bean and pole types. The bush varieties have large seeds and mature earlier than the pole varieties. The pole beans produce a high yield and require support. Lima beans are also commonly known as butter beans.
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Bean, Lima History
Lima beans are native to Central and South America, cultivated around 8000 years ago. The beans were discovered by European explores in Lima, Peru and named Lima beans. The explorers also found Lima beans could be stored for a long time so they became an ideal choice of food to replenish their needs while traveling. As a result the beans were transported to Europe, Africa, the East Indies, India and the Philippines.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 5.0 - 6.0
- PH Ideal (min/max): 5.4 - 5.6
Lima beans are like most beans in that they like a rich, well-drained loamy soil, with lots of organic matter. They like phosphorus and potassium (especially wood ashes), but don't need a lot of nitrogen (otherwise they won't fix any).
How to care for Bean, Lima?
Lima beans need a long, hot summer for best production, and do best in the Southern states. If you want to grow them in a more northerly location, you will need to use a fast maturing variety.
Water
Lima beans need a steady supply of water and may not set pods if the soil is too dry.
Fertilizer
Beans don't need a lot of nitrogen in the soil because they fix their own. In fact, if there is a lot in the soil they won't go to the trouble of fixing it. They do need plenty of potassium and phosphorus though.
They are sometimes planted after a crop that was heavily amended with aged manure, or after a winter cover crop. http://www.smartgardener.com/admin/categories/106-beans-lima/edit.
They dislike acid soil, so add lime if necessary. Avoid using green manures or nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
Seeds
Seed Viability: 3 - 5 Years
Germination Percentage: 70.0
Lima beans are mostly self-pollinated, but the nectar rich flowers are very attractive to bees, so they do get cross-pollinated to some extent. For this reason it is best to have only one variety flowering at a time (it needs isolating by one mile). Gather and prepare the seed as like with other beans.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
Full sun.
Conditions:Warm, Hot
Season:Long Season
Storage
Vine Drying
One method of drying out-of-doors is vine drying. To dry beans (navy, kidney, butter, great northern, lima, lentils and soybeans) leave bean pods on the vine in the garden until the beans inside rattle. When the vines and pods are dry and shriveled, pick the beans and shell them. No pretreatment is necessary. If beans are still moist, the drying process is not complete and the beans will mold if not more thoroughly dried. If needed, drying can be completed in the sun, oven or a dehydrator.
Like sun dried fruits, vine dried beans need treatment to kill insects and their eggs.
| 1. | Freezer Method – Seal the food in freezer-type plastic bags. Place the bags in a freezer set at 0ºF or below and leave them at least 48 hours. | |
| 2. | Oven Method – Place the food in a single layer on a tray or in a shallow pan. Place in an oven preheated to 160ºF for 30 minutes. |
Storage Req: Dry
Storage Temp: 50-75°F
Storage Length: 1-360 days
Freezing
Preparation – Harvest while the seed is in the green stage. Wash, shell and sort according to size.
Water blanch small beans 2 minutes, medium beans 3 minutes and large beans 4 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.
Storage Req: Freezer
Storage Temp: 0-32°F
Storage Length: 1-180 days
Beans may be stored in plastic bags in the fridge for a few days. They are best eaten fresh yet they can be stored until you have harvested enough for a meal.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-7 days
Problems
Bean, Lima Types
- Bush Lima Beans
- Pole Lima Beans
Bush Lima Beans are smaller than the pole types and produce smaller seeds, so their yield is considerably less. The small types are sometimes known as butter beans.
The Pole Lima Beans are vigorous plants, often growing to 10 feet or more and have larger seeds than the bush types. As a consequence they are more productive.
Pests
- Wireworm
- June Beetle
- Flea Beetle
- Mexican Bean Beetle
- Blister Beetle
- Bean Weevil
- Mealybug
- Leafhoppers
- Aphids
- Tarnished Plant Bug
- Cucumber Beetle
- Whiteflies
- Armyworms
- Leafminers
- Nematodes
- Slugs and snails
- Groundhog
- Rabbits
- Gophers
- Deer
Diseases
- Anthracnose
- Bacterial Wilt
- Curly Top
- Bacterial Blight
- Halo Blight
- Rust
- Bean Mosaic Virus (BCMV)
- Fusarium Wilt
- Downy Mildew
- Powdery Mildew
