How to Germinate Dried Lima Beans
The lima bean, or Phaseolus lunatus, is a tender annual that needs at least two to three months of warm, frost-free temperatures to make harvest, depending on the specific lima bean type (bush or pole) and the variety. The soil temperatures must remain at 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above for at least five days for lima beans to germinate. For this reason, growers typically start these beans indoors two to three weeks before the last expected frost plant them directly in the garden one to four weeks after the year's final frost. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Germinating Lima Beans Indoors
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Use a biodegradable pot such as a peat pot to start lima bean seeds indoors. This allows you to move the plants into the garden without disturbing the roots.
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Fill the pots with sterile potting soil. Sow one or two lima beans 1 inch deep in each pot.
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3
Water as needed to dampen the soil and then place the pots in a warm, sunny location. Check the soil often and continue to water to keep the soil moist, but not soaked.
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Watch for seedling to emerge in six to 18 days. Continue to water and thin the seedlings to one per pot when they reach 3 inches tall.
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Transplant the lima bean seedlings outdoors in the garden when soil temperatures warm.
Germinating Lima Beans Outside
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Select a planting site with full sun and rich, well-draining soil when the soil warms in the spring. Add a layer of compost to enrich the soil. Mix this well into the soil using hand-garden tools.
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Sow the lima bean 1 inch deep. Space the beans 3 to 6 inches apart in rows spaced 24 to 26 inches apart for bush-type lima beans. Space the beans 6 to 10 inches apart in rows spaced 30 to 36 apart for pole-type lima beans.
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Water the area carefully to dampen the soil without displacing the lima beans.
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Check the soil every day and water when needed to maintain moist, but not soggy soil until the lima beans germinate and seedlings appear in a week or more.
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Tips & Warnings
The ideal soil pH for germinating and growing lima beans is 6.0 to 6.8. Test your soil prior to planting lima beans and then add specific amendments to adjust it. Contact a garden center or extension office for information on testing and amendments to use.
Install necessary supports before planting if you are growing any pole-type lima beans. Bush-type beans typically do not need support.
Treat the dried lima beans with an anti-fungal agent as directed before planting. Lima beans are vulnerable to soil fungi and treated seeds have a higher germination rate.
References
Resources
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