Christmas Lima Pole Bean, also known as a Climbing Butter Bean, is a trellised lima bean variety with heirloom appearance and great flavor. Prolific vines provide great extensive trellis cover and a heavy-yield of large beans.
Are lima beans bush or pole beans?
Types of Lima Beans
Lima bean plants (phaseolus lunatus) have two growing styles: bush and pole. Care for both bean varieties is relatively the same, while spacing and harvesting time differ. Bush lima beans, also known as butter beans, grow about two feet tall, have small seeds, and bear pods quickly.
How do you grow Christmas lima beans?
Lima beans like an evenly moist soil that is well drained. Mulch to prevent weeds and minimize watering. Limas need a warmer soil than snap beans. Lima Beans shouldn’t be planted out until all frost danger is past and the soil is warm (a minimum of 60˚F and preferably closer to 70 to 75˚F.)
Do lima beans need poles?
Plant bush lima beans 3 to 6 inches (7-15cm) apart; set rows 24 to 30 inches (61-76cm) apart. Plant pole lima beans 6 to 10 inches (15-25cm) apart; set rows 30 to 36 inches (76-91cm) apart. Set poles, stakes, or supports in place at planting time.
What are pole lima beans?
King of the Garden Pole Lima Bean is a vigorous variety lima pole bean with medium-green foliage. Pods are 5″ to 6″ long, light green, flat, with 4 to 5 beans per pod, that mature in 85 days. Well adapted for freezing. White, large seeds are thick and flat.
Do lima bean plants need a trellis?
How to Grow Lima Beans. While different than the common bean, lima beans have a similar growing habit. Some lima beans are vining crops that need to be trellised while other varieties have a bush habit that allows them to be planted without support.
Do lima beans keep producing?
As that date nears check the pods to see if they have matured. They will be 4 to 8 inches long, depending on the variety, and have 3 to 5 seeds per pod. The pods are ready to pick when they are plump and firm. Harvesting lima bean pods as they mature can prompt the plant to keep producing more, extending the season.
How many lima beans should I plant?
Bush types grow 2 to 3 feet tall and may need staking when they are covered in pods. Pole beans will need sturdy support, as the vines can easily grow 10 feet or more and become heavy with pods. Plant four to six seeds on each side of a trellis or teepee.
What can I plant next to lima beans?
For companion planting, the bush lima bean can be planted with celery, cucumbers, Maize, summer savory, and potatoes. Pole lima beans can be planted with scarlet runner beans, corn, sunflowers and summer savory. Avoid planting the beans with beets, Kohlrabi, and onions.
How long does a lima bean take to grow?
When to harvest lima beans varies from variety to variety, with 65 to 75 days being about the average amount of time it takes to make a crop. You can harvest your beans when the pods are bright green in color and well-filled.
How do you trellis a lima bean?
Plant bush beans 3 to 6 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 1 to 3 weeks they’ll germinate.
How many green beans can I plant for a family of 4?
4. Do you like to eat in season or preserve excess harvests for later use?
| Crop | Number of Plants to Grow |
|---|---|
| Bean (bush) | 5 to 10 per person |
| Bean (fava) | 4 to 8 per person |
| Bean (pole) | 3 to 5 per person |
| Beet | 5 to 10 per person |
How many lima bean seeds are in a hole?
two seeds
Drop in two seeds per hole, so they fall about an inch (2cm) apart, and are two inches (5cm) deep. Make the first sowing one week before your last expected frost date, then continue sowing every three or four weeks until midsummer.
What are the best pole beans?
The Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans are the most popular pole beans available today. There are three varieties: Kentucky Wonder White, Kentucky Wonder Brown and Kentucky Wonder Wax (The only pole wax bean variety still in commercial production.)
How do you plant Christmas pole beans?
- Beans Sowing Instructions. Planting Depth: 1″
- Row Spacing: 18″-36″
- Seed Spacing: 3″-4″
- Days to Germination: 6-10 days.
- Germination Temperature: 60°-80°F. Beans love sun and well-draining, fertile soil. Plant Beans when the soil has warmed to 60°F and all danger of frost has passed.
What is the king of the garden?
Introduced in the 1970s, King of the Garden is a favorite that produces 4-6 in. pods with cream-colored seeds. This vigorous, vine-type lima bean variety clings well to poles and does not require staking to grow. It sets pods from the very bottom of the vine and will bear beans until frost.
Are lima beans hard to grow?
As a Central American native, growing lima beans requires nice warm, sunny conditions. The pods will take 60 to 90 days to mature in preferred temperatures of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C.). While not difficult to grow, the time for planting lima beans is important, as these are frost tender annuals.
What animals eat lima beans?
Squirrels, chipmunks and voles — all of which are rodents — attack bean plants from all angles. Squirrels and chipmunks often take bites out of leaves and/or maturing beans.
What fertilizer is best for lima beans?
Lima beans respond a little too well to additional nitrogen, growing rapidly with plenty of foliage but few pods. If you use a commercial fertilizer in your garden, select a low nitrogen formulation, such as a 5-10-10, and work it into the soil before planting the beans.
Can you eat lima bean pods?
Fresh lima beans need to be shelled before they are eaten. Shelling can be a little tricky, especially with larger beans. Beans are easier to handle if they are tender and have full pods. One method used for larger beans is to simply cut open the pod with scissors and remove the beans by hand.
What to do with lima beans after picking?
To store fresh lima beans, keep them in their pods and place them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. If you leave the beans to vine-dry before harvesting, freeze them for 48-hours to kill insects and eggs, pour them in an airtight container, and store them in a cool, dark area of the kitchen.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.