How to grow lima bean

Phaseolus lunatus · Fabaceae · Vegetable

Lima Bean is a warm-season vegetable in the Fabaceae family, almost always sown straight into the ground where it will grow. It wants full sun (six or more hours of direct light) and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 65–95 days. It is killed by frost, so nothing goes outside until the danger has passed and the soil has warmed.

Grower’s note: Needs more heat and a longer season than snap beans and rots in cold, wet soil - wait for real warmth. Bush types for shorter seasons; pole types (butter beans) crop for weeks in hot-summer regions.

Sowing

Sow about 1.5″ deep, into soil between 65–85°F — germination is quickest near 80°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (7–18 days). It does not transplant well, so sow it in its final position rather than starting it in pots.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 4″ along the row with roughly 30″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 18″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 12″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

Lima Bean needs roughly 65–95 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.

Quick facts

When to plant lima bean

Companions

Common problems

Pests: Mexican bean beetle, aphids, stink bug.

Diseases & disorders: anthracnose, downy mildew, root rot.

Same family (Fabaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.