Lima beans, also known as butter beans, are a type of legume that are large and meaty with a deliciously nutty flavor when compared to other legumes like black beans, pinto beans, etc. In fact, while these are all legumes, lima beans and other beans are different species entirely. Lima bean varieties come in both bush and pole growing habits. You can select which is right for your garden depending on what you’re looking for! Bush-type lima beans will mature earlier and typically all at once. They do not require trellising. Pole-type lima beans do require trellising and tend to produce more slowly, but over a longer growing season. Just like other beans, they’re rather easy to grow. And we’re about to make it even easier with this secret tip:

You can start lima beans from seed indoors and transplant them outside. 

GASP! You know the rules, never start legume seeds indoors, always direct seed them, so on and so forth. Well, here’s the exception. If your garden is plagued with leaf munchers and crunchers that leave your efforts wasted and your plants stunted, try starting your lima beans indoors and transplanting them out when they’re bigger and stronger. If you care for them just right, you might find a more successful harvest in your future. A lot of folks struggle with growing lima beans, but this helpful tip could make all the difference in your garden! 

Growing Lima Beans: Quick Start Guide

Let’s get growing. 

Where to Grow Lima Beans

Lima beans are a heat-loving crop that want full sun and well-draining soil. Extra points if you mix in plenty of organic matter ahead of planting. Being cold sensitive, temperatures should not dip below 60°F in the evenings for lima beans to thrive. They should be planted in daytime soil temperatures between 65 and 85°F.

Seeding Lima Beans

Lima beans are typically started from seeds outdoors (the secret to starting them indoors below), and are not typically found as plant starts like many other summer crops. Lima beans are large seeds and should be planted one inch deep and three to four inches apart after all danger of frost has passed. Lima beans will need quite a bit of water in order for them to germinate. We recommend watering your lima beans twice a day until germination, which typically takes one to two weeks. 

Thinning Lima Beans

If you’ve found that you seeded your lima beans a little heavier than is ideal for them to mature, thin them! Snip back the sprouted lima beans to the soil level, ensuring that there are three to four inches between each plant. This will ensure that they do not compete for light or nutrients as they mature. Growing lima beans too close together can result in the spread of disease, stunted plants, and a decreased harvest.

Growing Lima Beans

Lima beans will not require any kind of fertilizer. In fact, too much nitrogen can actually decrease your yield. Like other crops, lima beans have their share of pests and diseases. We recommend rotating your crops around your garden and using integrative methods of pest control to address these issues. 

Trellising Lima Beans

Unless otherwise noted, lima beans will need to be trellised. Knowing the growth habit of your variety is essential to ensuring you’re providing the right care! 

Harvesting Lima Beans

Lima beans can be harvested in the fresh or dried stage. If you’re harvesting fresh, pick plump pods regularly, as this will encourage the plant to produce even more. If you’re harvesting for dried, wait for the pods to be dry and brittle and for the seeds inside to be hard. If you’re having a wet fall, you can harvest the pods somewhat pre-maturely and dry the shelled beans inside until they’re fully hardened. 

How to Start Lima Beans Indoors: Step by Step

As promised, we’ll explain exactly how one should start their lima beans indoors. 

1. Starting Seeds

Lima bean seeds can be planted in cells like any other seed you would start indoors. Follow the same depth directions for direct sowing them, just in a seedling tray! Take care to only plant one bean per cell. 

2. Materials for Seed Starting

The materials for seed starting are pretty standard across all crops. We recommend using a high-quality seed starting mix (not just potting soil) LED grow lights, and a gentle fan for starting your lima bean seeds indoors. Make it easy on yourself by getting all of your seed starting materials in one place! 

3. Caring for Seedlings

Be sure to water your seeds twice a day until germination. This is especially important with lima bean seeds because they’re so large and need a lot of water to germinate. Having a fan running in the room will help keep air moving and fungal disease at bay. As your seedlings mature, raise the grow lights so they maintain a three inch distance from the top of the seedlings. 

4. Watching the Roots

The main reason they say not to start beans inside is because they mature so quickly, they can become root bound and fail once transplanted into the garden. This is where your watchful eye comes in. As your seedlings mature, occasionally (and carefully) take one cell out to see what the roots look like. As soon as they’re visible on the outside of the soil block, it’s time to pot them up. 

Potting Up: When and How to Do It Right

Once your seedlings are ready to be potted up, when they’re two to three inches tall and have a second set of true leaves, fill four-inch pots with seed starting mix again. Create a hole that is as wide and deep as the cells you are transplanting from. Carefully remove each plant from its cell. Try using a spoon to scoop them out to limit any stress on the plant or root system. Gently place each plant in the pre-dug hole and fill it in with the surrounding soil. Water well. 

How to Harden Off Lima Bean Seedlings

When your seedlings have reached about six inches tall, and the weather is cooperating with warm temperatures even into the evenings, it’s time to start hardening off your seedlings. About a week before you’re ready to plant, place your seedlings outside for about an hour, then bring them back in. Increase this time by a couple of hours each day, until they’re spending twelve to fourteen hours outside. This helps to prepare them for the outside world and reduces transplant shock. 

Transplanting Without Damaging the Roots

Now it comes time to transplant your lima beans without killing them. You’ll know they’re ready when they have three to four true leaves, a stocky stem, and most importantly, are not yet root-bound. The key here is to disturb the roots as little as possible. Some folks will use four inch pots with removable, or plantable, liners. This helps avoid all root disturbance whatsoever. Create a deep and wide enough hole for your plants in your garden beds, spacing each hole three to four inches apart. Be sure to plant about two to three inches away from the provided trellis. Gently place your seedlings in each hole and fill them in with soil. Water well throughout the growing season (at least one inch of water per week), but especially early on as they get established in the garden. 

Growing Lima Beans in Containers

Lima beans can be easily grown in containers so long as they’re big enough! We recommend sowing or transplanting lima beans in containers no less than five gallons and ensuring you keep them well watered. The soil in containers dries out more quickly than in ground garden beds, so watering frequency becomes even more essential. When growing in containers, pole varieties will still need to be trellised! 

Common Lima Bean Growing Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t let seedlings become root-bound before potting up and again watch out for this before transplanting. Root bound seedlings will struggle to thrive. 

• Don’t skip hardening off your seedlings after growing them under artificial light. 

• Don’t plant your seedlings too early! Wait until nighttime temperatures are above 55°F.

• Take care not to disturb the root ball during potting up and transplanting. 

Lima Bean FAQ

Still have more questions about the great lima bean? Let’s cover them. 

Can you transplant lima beans? 

Yes! You can transplant lima beans and should do so if you live in areas with shorter growing seasons, like zones five through seven.  

Why aren’t my lima beans germinating? 

The number one reason lima beans don’t germinate or germinate slowly is because growers don’t water them enough. These are large seeds that need a lot of water to bulge enough so they crack the shell and sprout! If you’re having trouble germinating your lima beans, try increasing the water they get. 

How long do lima beans take to grow? 

It depends on the variety, but lima beans typically take 70 to 90 days to harvest. 

Do lima beans need a trellis? 

Pole-type lima beans do need a trellis! Before planting, clarify if your variety is a bush-type or a pole-type. 

What’s the difference between lima beans and butter beans? 

Butter beans and lima beans are the same - botanically speaking! This species is called “butter beans” when they’re picked dried and fully mature. They’re called lima beans when they’re picked green and eaten fresh. 

Lima Bean Varieties to Grow This Year

There are a ton of great varieties of lima beans to grow in your garden but these are some of our favorites! These varieties are also open-pollinated, which means the seeds can be saved year after year! 

King of the Garden Pole

This 1883 heirloom has reigned supreme with vigorous vines that produce dark-green pods and creamy white beans. These lima beans have a honey-like flavor that really stands out. 

Henderson Bush

A reliable producer of buttery, white lima beans since the 1880’s! These beans are creamy and delicious in almost any growing conditions. They grow in a bushy habit and have a long harvest window. 

Willowleaf Butterbean

Another heirloom, this small-seeded beautiful bean really earned its spot on this list. The beans vary in color from dark purple to light pink and have some very beautiful mottling. It’s super prolific even with some drought and heat. 

Saving Seeds: Open-Pollinated Lima Beans

Lima beans, Phaseolus lunatus, are excellent candidates for seed saving - especially for beginner seed savers! 

While most garden beans self-pollinate, lima beans are inbreeding. This means they will cross with each other, but they won’t cross with the common garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris. The isolation distance for lima beans is about 50 feet. It is possible to save the seed of more than one variety in a fairly large garden in one season! That being said, this is also how you would harvest dried beans for storing and eating later in the year! 

To save seeds, allow the pods to dry completely on the plant. Once the pods are brown and dry, and you can hear the seeds rattle inside the pods, they are ready to be picked! These pods will shatter easily so pick them gently or hold a large bowl underneath as you are harvesting. Take your harvest and crush the pods in a sack, winnowing the chaff or selecting the beans out. Freeze the seeds to eliminate a potential weevil infestation in your seeds and store them in a cool, dark place. Next year, plant the best looking beans. 

Find everything you need from lima bean seeds to seed starting materials or even growing guides at sowtrueseed.com! 

	Article Written by: Hannah Gibbons
	About the Author: Hannah Gibbons, an employee at Sow True Seed since 2020, has over a decade of experience in the agricultural industry. Their passion for environmental education and regenerative agriculture has been the cornerstone of their work, aimed at making gardening accessible to all.