How To Plant, Grow, and Care for Lima Beans

Packed with nutrition, lima beans are a beloved legume from Mesoamerica full of dietary fiber. They sometimes taste like butter when cooked, and knowing how to grow lima beans is a great skill for gardeners who want to improve their health and soil microbiology.

The lima bean plant originated in Lima, Peru, where it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. The Inca people learned how to cook lima beans properly to remove toxicity, and European settlers took the beans back to their homelands, where they grew in popularity.

Many lima bean cultivars come in three size variations: large, small, and baby limas. Gardeners with varying spaces can grow lima beans, and with different growing habits (either bushy or climbing), growers can choose plants that help them save even more space if necessary.

They made their way to North America via migrations and colonization of what was then deemed the “New World.” Today, lima beans are popular everywhere and remain an important staple in Mexico, where wild cultivars grow.

There are two types of lima bean plants: bush lima beans and pole lima beans. Both range from three to 15 feet in height. Each leaf is comprised of three leaflets. The small flowers are white or violet and self-pollinate. In summer, flowers bloom and die away, and in their place, long three to eight-inch pods form that contain two to four lima bean seeds.

Bush lima beans have smaller seeds and take less time to form, whereas larger pole bean varieties need longer. Fruition times range from 60 to 100 days, and they’re ready to harvest in the fall. Seeds are most commonly white, but there are plenty of variations of white with brown, purple, green, and blue. Lima beans grow shallow roots that branch out around the plant and fix nitrogen into the soil.

Raw lima beans contain toxins and must be boiled for at least 10 minutes before consumption. Due to their buttery flavor, they’ve earned the name butter beans, especially when freshly harvested and shelled.

All parts of the plant are edible: bean sprouts, leaves, young pods, and green seeds. However, the most common reason for growing lima beans is for the seeds, which come in a wide range of sizes.

Types of Lima Beans

‘Henderson’ lima bean is an heirloom bush bean that loves hot weather and grows compactly. Its traditional white seeds mature quickly, within 60 to 70 days, and each pod produces three or more seeds. ‘Henderson’ is often used in succession planting because it grows quickly and finishes its life cycle during temperate seasons.

Scarlet runner beans grow best in zones 7 through 11. These pole lima beans grow bright purple or deep red beans inside light green pods. They’re also fast-growing and produce mature seeds within 70 days. The flowers are a striking scarlet, just like the seeds.

‘Fordhook 242’ lima bean plants, also known as potato limas, are the bean grown for commercial use. The large beans have a hazelnut-like flavor and mature within 75 days. They are bush beans that grow to 18 inches tall. They’re heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant, and prolific, growing well in both cooler and hotter regions.

Planting

Plant lima beans in spring, three to four weeks after the last frost has passed. Alternatively, start lima beans indoors two to three weeks before the last frost in peat pots, starter cells, or soil blocks.

Choose a site with loose, rich soil and full sun. Containers are a suitable place to plant lima beans, as long as they are one foot wide and one foot deep. Bush lima bean varieties don’t need support, but pole lima bean varieties need a stake or trellis to climb. Ensure the soil has been well worked before planting either seeds or transplants.

Avoid planting beans where other legumes like fava beans or green beans have just grown, as this will overwhelm the plant with nitrogen and reduce yields.

To plant seeds, space pole varieties six to 10 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart. Plant bush beans three to six inches apart in rows 24 to 30 inches apart. Set your trellis, poles, and stakes in place at planting time to avoid disturbing developing plant roots. Plant one seed per hole, and in one to three weeks, they’ll germinate. Place transplants in the garden in the same manner, with any necessary stakes or trellises included.

How to Grow

Lima beans generally don’t need a ton of upkeep, especially if the basic care requirements are already met. So, let’s discuss those!

Light

Lima beans grow best in full sun. Partial shade is adequate but reduces yields. They need at least six to eight hours of direct sun.

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist in the lima bean patch. Well-draining soil is a must, so allow soil moisture to evaporate between waterings. Ensure the soil isn’t waterlogged when you plant beans, as they’ll crack under too much moisture. When the lima bean pods are forming, water at least a few times per week to keep the soil moist.

Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses that concentrate water at the base of the plant rather than the leaves, which are prone to mildew. Don’t water when it’s rainy, as limas are drought-tolerant.

Soil

Give your beans loose, rich, well-draining soil. Combine vermiculite, sand, and well-rotted manure or compost. Ensure compaction isn’t an issue at planting, as this severely stunts growth.

Work the top two to three inches of soil with a fork or spade so it’s loose before planting. This gives the plant roots room to spread out and form more lima beans.

Temperature

They grow in USDA zones 2 through 11, making it possible to cultivate them almost anywhere. In areas with a short growing season, pole beans don’t have enough time to form green pods. The ideal temperature range for most lima bean plants is between 60 and 70°F (16 to 21°C). Some varieties are highly heat-tolerant, while others adapt to both heat and cold.

Most varieties handle heat up to 110°F (43°C). They won’t set bean pods in temperatures under 80°F (27°C), though. Protect them well in a snap freeze with a good-quality frost cloth.

Fertilizing

Limas do not require fertilizers. They’ll have trouble producing beans on plants treated with high-nitrogen fertilizers. Since they already fix nitrogen into the soil, there’s no need to add any. Too much fertilizer burns the plant. Provide well-rotted compost or aged manure at planting time to ensure there’s enough potassium and phosphorus, and they’ll handle the rest.

Pruning

While the plants are growing, remove mildewed or diseased foliage as it appears. Limas don’t need pruning, but at the end of the season, pinch back the top of the plant to ensure all its energy diverts into ripening the remaining young beans.

Because lima beans are perennial, cut them back before winter sets in, then cover the planting area with plenty of mulch to keep the soil warm.

Propagation

The only method of propagating pole varieties and bush varieties is by seed. Check out the planting section of this piece for guidelines. 

Harvesting

Depending on the variety, your vegetable garden will have fresh, bright green lima beans ready in 60 to 110 days. Wait until the plant starts to produce pods that are big and plump, then harvest.

Pod development will affect the beans, so test a pod before you remove others. Open it and look at the beans within. They are ready when the rest of the plant has dried and turned brown. Alternatively, harvest dried lima beans when the pods turn brown and become brittle.

To dry beans after harvest, put them in a dehydrator or dry them in a well-ventilated, cool area until they are hard to the touch. Sterilize beans from pole varieties that could contain insects and their eggs. Seal them in a plastic bag and place them in the freezer at 0°F (-18°C) for 48 hours. Alternatively, place the dry beans in an even layer on a cookie sheet in the oven at 160°F (71°C) for 30 minutes.

Storing

Store fresh beans in their pods in the refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic bag for two days. Clean them thoroughly before use.

Freeze them, can them, or store them dry. Canned beans in both fresh and dried forms keep for one year. Frozen lima beans last for nine months in an airtight container or plastic bag. Dry lima beans keep in an airtight container at room temperature for six months.

Remember, it’s very important to cook them for at least 10 minutes before eating them. Raw beans are toxic.

Troubleshooting

While limas are hardy and adapted to many conditions, there are a few issues that could crop up. There are some pests and diseases to watch out for as well. 

Growing Problems

Most people don’t have issues with lima beans outside of planting them in improper garden soil. Give them well-draining, well-worked, loose soil to grow in. If you planted in compacted soil, work a little vermiculite and agricultural sand around the base of the plant.

Do not overwater lima beans, as this promotes irregular pod growth. Instead, allow the top two inches of soil to dry out a little between waterings.

If you didn’t provide a trellis for pole beans at planting, slowly train the plant onto a stake or trellis after the fact.

Starting to see pods drop off the plant? This may be due to planting inside the last frost date range. Provide ample protection for your beans and ensure they’re kept out of the cold.

Pests

Bean beetles are small, round beetles that resemble ladybugs but are light orange instead of red. They have a wider head with small antennae. They turn the leaves of your bean plants into lace or chomp bean pods.

Pick them off by hand and place them in soapy water. Chickens will handpick them for you. Row covers protect your plants, especially in the early stages. Neem oil sprayed outside of the flowering and fruiting phases in temperatures under 85°F (29°C) deters beetles.

Bean leaf beetles look a lot like bean beetles but are longer with black lines on either side of their thorax. They also feed on leaves and chew holes through limas. Their larvae feed on the roots of bean plants, too. Use row covers and hand-picking in conjunction with neem oil as described above. Pyrethrin sprays applied seven to 10 days apart also keep them at bay.

Corn earworms are the caterpillar form of the Helicoverpa zea moth species. They feed on bean leaves, vines, stems, and just about anything else. Moths lay eggs on bean plants, and worms hatch to eat until they can pupate. Handpick them as you see them or set your chickens on the plants. Bt sprays (Bacillus thuringiensis) kill them as they feed on your plants before they reach the pupation stage.

Diseases

Root-area rots and some forms of mildew are fungal diseases that arise in unusually warm and wet weather or with improper watering.

Once root rot sets in, there is nothing to do but remove the plant and dispose of it in the trash. Opt for resistant varieties and make sure your soil is well-draining to reduce the formation of the fungus that causes this type of rot.

Powdery mildew comes from fungal spores that infect wet leaves. It can also spread from nearby infected plants releasing spores. Remove damaged foliage as it appears and clear away infected plant debris.

Prevent mildew with neem oil or copper fungicide sprays applied after removing infected material and intermittently through warm, humid seasons. If your bean plant is fully infected, remove it entirely and dispose of it. Do not compost this material, as it may contain spores that will spread the mildew further.

Bean mosaic virus appears when leaves become mottled with a light yellow color. As foliage warps, dark green leaf veins appear. Aphids generally spread the disease by feeding on infected plant material and making their way to a healthy plant. Control them with neem oil and remove them by hand as much as possible. Because there is no treatment or cure, completely remove infected plants and dispose of them in the trash to reduce the risk of further spread.

Frequently Asked Questions