Growing Pole Lima Beans

Organic Vegetable Gardening
Fact Sheet

Botanical name: Phaseolus lunatus

Seed

 

pole lima beans

picked lima beans

Planting time: SU
Seeds per ounce: 25-90 (depending on size)
Ounces per square foot: 0.12 - .18
Minimum legal germination rate: 70%
Seed spacing (inches): 6
Germination type:

Short Germinating seeds

 

Notes
Pole Lima Beans produce higher yields and produce longer beans than bush forms. When planting the soil temperature needs to be warm (65°+ F) to ensure good germination. They suffer in arid and semi-arid areas unless you can cool the area with shade.

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
Maximum number of plants per square foot: 4
Nutrient relationship:: Heavy Giver of Nitrogen
   

Harvest

 

Days to maturity: 77-91
Harvesting period (days): 84
Minimum yields in pounds /square foot: .15 (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) Bean Aphid, Bean Leaf Beetle, Bean Weevil, Japanese Beetle, Limabean Pod Borer, Longtailed Mealybug, Mexican Bean Beetle, Mexican Bean Beetle, Pea Aphid, Slugs and Snails
   

Varieties

Carolina (Sieva) - white seed; 3 to 4 beans per pod.
Florida Speckled Butter Bean – bean speckled with maroon; 3 to 4 small beans per pod; greenish with purple at green shell stage; bears well in hot weather; 78 days.
Willowleaf - white seed; similar to Carolina, except with narrow dark green leaves.

 

Organic Gardening Seed and Plant Sources:

 

 

Return to Organic Gardening Vegetables from Pole Lima Beans

 

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