Growing Bush Lima Beans

Seed
Planting time:	SU
Seeds per ounce:	25-90 (depending on size)
Ounces per square foot:	0.4
Minimum legal germination rate:	70%
Seed spacing (inches):	6
Germination type:	Short Germinating seeds

Notes Lima Beans (bush) mature more slowly about 10 to 15 days earlier than Pole Lima Beans. The large seed size of Lima Beans store significant amount of carbohydrates, making them susceptible to soil fungi and bacteria. Harvest Lima Beans when pods are bright green, the seeds are full-sized and the ends of the pods will be soft.

Planting
In garden spacing (inches):	6
In flat spacing (inches):	1
Planting depth (inches):	1
Maxiumum number of plants per square foot:	6
Nutrient relationship:	Heavy Giver of Nitrogen

Harvest
Days to maturity:	63-77
Harvesting period (days):	84
Minimum yields in pounds /square foot:	.1 (dry)

Cultural
Diseases:	Angular Leaf Spot (fungal disease) can be a problem in damp conditions. Less common diseases such as Anthracnose, mosaic virus and bacterial blight can occur.
Insect pests:(Insect Pest Finder)	Limabean Pod Borer, Mexican Bean Beetle, Slugs and Snails, Japanese Beetle

Varieties
'Dixie Butterpea' - white seed with 3 to 4 small plump beans per pod. Does well in hot weather. This variety is large and vigorous plants.
'Early Thorogreen' – flat, small, rich-green baby Lima. Very productive. Very adaptable and vigorous.
'Henderson Bush' - white seed; 3 to 4 small, flat beans per pod. This is the most popular variety. Small plant and productive.
'Jackson Wonder' – small peckled bean with purple markings. Medium-sized plant.
'Nemagreen' - seeds greenish-white; 3 to 4 small, flat beans per pod. The plants are small, productive; similar to 'Henderson Bush'. Resistant to root-knot nematodes.

footer for Bush Lima Beans page