Lima Beans
Phaseolus lunatus
About it
- Kind
- Vegetables · Annual
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Frost
- Very tender — needs warm soil and nights
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 6 in apart
- Soil depth in a pot
- At least 8 in
- Water
- About every 7 days
ⓘ We don't know this plant's soil pH, feeding needs and mature size yet.
When to plant
- Sow outdoors
- Sow 2 weeks after the last frost
- Ready
- About 65 days from sowing
Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.
Planting partners
No cited companion planting notes for Lima Beans yet.
Safety for pets and children
- Cats No information in our sources
- Dogs No information in our sources
- Horses No information in our sources
- Children No information in our sources
"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.
Pests and diseases
No pest or disease notes for Lima Beans yet.
Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.
Where this comes from
- category NC State Extension ↗ Listed in Table 16-4, "Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs"
- climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox: lima bean "is frost tender and grown as an annual in cooler climates". No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
- days to maturity NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4: Beans, lima/bush 65-80 (pole 75-95); the bush low end. Ch. 18 gives the same 65-80
- direct sow weeks rel last frost cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class, a class-wide figure: typically 2+ weeks after the last frost. UNH (New Hampshire) has no lima row
- family npgsweb.ars-grin.gov ↗ GRIN page: Phaseolus lunatus L.
- frost hardiness cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) very tender class lists lima beans
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- maturity counted from NC State Extension ↗ The 0069 row took NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-4's lima/bush 65-80, a from-seed figure
- min soil depth in NC State Extension ↗ Table 18-1: Beans, minimum container depth 8-10 in; low end. A group figure, as every ch. 18 depth is
- space requirement NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4 distance between plants: 6 in. The table publishes no row distance, so rows equal plants -- the square spacing of an intensive bed
- species NC State Extension ↗
- sunlight NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- water frequency days NC State Extension ↗ NC State Gardener Handbook ch. 16, "Watering": "On average, vegetable gardens need 1 inch of water per week; provide only what is not supplied by rain." This is the handbook's general guidance for a vegetable garden, not a figure published for this crop.