Grow Lima Beans

This week, we will learn how to grow lima beans in our backyard garden with an emphasis on growing in Texas as always.

Grow Lima Beans - 2/23-3/1/2026

This is the Calico pole lima bean. It is a burgundy speckled bean and is very popular among our customers.

If you’ve only had lima beans from a can or a sad freezer bag, you’re in for a surprise. When you grow them fresh, they can be creamy, sweet, and honestly kind of addictive.

I’m going to walk you through how to grow lima beans in your backyard garden in a way that feels simple and doable. You don’t need fancy tools, and you don’t need to be a master gardener either.

I still remember the first time I picked lima beans from my own plants. I cooked them that night with butter, salt, and a little garlic, and I couldn’t believe they were the same food I used to avoid as a kid.

Think of this article like a friendly plan you can follow from start to finish. You’ll learn when to plant, what to do each week, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to harvest so your beans taste amazing.

This guide is split into 7 parts, so you can jump to what you need.

But if you read it in order, you’ll feel like you’ve got a solid “lima bean game plan.”

One quick heads-up if you live in a hot place: timing matters a lot. Beans grow better in Texas in early spring and in the fall as it begins to cool down, so we’ll lean into that.

Grow Lima Beans - What Variety Is Best For Me?

This is the Early Thorogreen Bush Lima bean. It is perfect for early spring planting. How do we know? Early is in the name.

Before you plant anything, you need to choose between bush lima beans and pole lima beans.

Bush limas stay shorter and don’t need a tall support. They’re great if you want an easier setup and faster harvests in a smaller bed.

Pole limas climb and want a trellis or fence. They can produce longer, but they need more time and a sturdy support.

If you’re brand new, start with bush types. If you like building trellises or you already have a fence line to use, pole types can be a fun upgrade.

Here’s a simple way to choose:
- Small space and quick harvest: **bush**
- More space and vertical growing: **pole**
- Windy yard: **bush** is often easier
- Love trellises: **pole** is worth it

I’ve grown both, but bush limas are the ones I recommend when you just want success without fuss. They’re the weeknight dinner version of lima beans. At David's Garden Seeds®, you will find the best seeds for your garden.

Grow Lima Beans - When?

Lima beans love warmth, but they don’t love extreme heat during flowering.

If you want to grow lima beans in Texas, you’ll usually do best with two main windows: early spring and fall. Those seasons avoid the worst summer stress.

In early spring, wait until the soil feels warm and your frost risk is basically done. In fall, plant as the weather starts cooling down, so flowers and pods form in nicer temperatures.

A helpful rule of thumb: if your tomatoes look miserable in the heat, your lima beans might struggle then too. That’s why those Texas shoulder seasons can be gold.

I learned this the hard way one summer when I planted late and the plants looked fine—until they tried to flower. They dropped blooms like they were quitting their job.

So if you’re aiming for a good harvest, plan your planting around comfort. Not your comfort—your plants’ comfort.

Grow Lima Beans - Sun And Soil

This is the Fordhook Bush Lima bean.

Lima beans want sun and in Texas, they can get plenty. Give them a spot with at least 6–8 hours of direct light.

They also like soil that drains well. If water puddles for hours after a rain, fix that before planting by adding compost and planting in a slightly raised row or bed.

Before you plant, mix in a few inches of compost if you have it. Compost helps the soil hold the right amount of moisture without getting soggy.

Keep fertilizer simple. Beans can make some of their own nitrogen, so too much nitrogen can make huge leafy plants with fewer pods.

If your soil is poor, you can use a balanced garden fertilizer lightly, but don’t go heavy. You want steady growth, not a leaf jungle.

I like to prep the bed, water it once, and then let it sit a day. That way, the soil is evenly damp and ready for seeds.

Grow Lima Beans - Planting

This is the Jackson Wonder Bush Lima bean, another speckled bean. It is beige and burgundy.

Plant seeds directly in the garden. Lima beans don’t love being transplanted.

Push the seed into the soil about 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Cover it, pat it down gently, and water enough to settle the soil.

Spacing matters more than people think. Crowded plants stay damp, and damp plants invite problems. Give bush types room, and give pole types room to climb without tangling.

A simple spacing guide:
- Bush limas: about 4–6 inches apart in rows
- Pole limas: about 6–8 inches apart along a trellis
- Leave enough row space to reach in and harvest

If you’re planting pole limas, set up your trellis first. Don’t wait until the vines are long and then try to “install” something around them.

One of my favorite cheap trellises is a sturdy cattle panel or garden netting tied tight to T-posts. It’s not fancy, but it works and it lasts.

Grow Lima Beans - Caring For Your Plants

Once your beans sprout, your main job is steady moisture and a clean bed.

Water deeply, then let the top inch of soil dry a bit before watering again. Constant soggy soil can cause rot, but letting them get bone dry can slow growth.

During flowering and pod set, don’t let them dry out for long stretches. That’s when the plant decides how many pods it can support.

Mulch helps a lot. A layer of straw, leaves, or shredded mulch keeps soil moisture steadier and cuts down on weeds.

Weeds matter because they steal water and sun. Early on, weed gently so you don’t disturb shallow roots.

When your pole lima beans start climbing, help them a little by guiding vines toward the trellis. After they grab on, they usually take it from there.

This is where I sneak in a little routine I call walk-by care. Every time you walk past your plants, do a 10-second scan for dry soil, pests, or weeds. It adds up fast.

If you want a simple reminder word for this whole part, it’s this: consistency. Beans don’t need constant attention, but they love consistent care.

Grow Lima Beans - Common Problems

Now, let's talk about some common problems and how to handle them without stress. Most lima bean problems come from three things: too much heat, uneven watering, or bugs.

Heat stress can show up as poor flowering or dropped blossoms. If you’re in a hot region, that’s one more reason to plant early spring or fall when conditions are kinder.

Uneven watering can cause weak plants and fewer pods. Try to avoid the cycle of “bone dry” followed by “flooded.”

Watch for common garden pests like aphids and other sap-suckers that gather on tender growth. A strong spray of water can knock many of them off.

Also keep an eye out for chewing insects that leave ragged holes. Hand-picking is surprisingly effective in a backyard garden if you check often.

If your plants look healthy but don’t produce pods, it’s often timing and temperature. That’s not you failing—that’s just the weather winning that round.

I’ve had seasons where everything looked perfect, and still the harvest was light. Then I shifted my planting window and the next crop went from “meh” to “wow.”

Remember this helpful idea: lima beans can be easy to grow in texas when you work with the seasons instead of fighting them.

Grow Lima Beans - Harvesting For Peak Flavor

When you harvest lima beans, they should be creamy, not nasty. This is the part that changes minds. Fresh harvest timing is what makes lima beans taste so good.

You can harvest limas at different stages, but for that creamy, tender texture, pick when the pods are full and the beans inside look plump.

Don’t wait until everything is dry and tough unless you want dry storage beans. For eating fresh, you’re aiming for mature-but-still-green beans.

Pick regularly. The more you pick, the more the plant keeps producing. Letting pods sit too long can slow the plant down.

After picking, shell them soon. Fresh-shelled limas cook faster and taste sweeter than beans that sit around in pods for days.

My favorite simple cooking method is: simmer gently until tender, then finish with butter, salt, and pepper. If you want extra flavor, add a little garlic or a pinch of smoked paprika.

If you get a big harvest, you can blanch and freeze shelled beans to keep that fresh taste. That way you’re not stuck with “dry and nasty” later.

Grow Lima Beans - Conclusion

If you came here searching for how to grow lima beans in your backyard garden, here’s the honest truth: success is mostly timing, sun, and steady watering.

Keep it simple, stay consistent, and plant in the best windows for your area—especially if you’re trying to grow lima beans in Texas. And if you share your progress online, go ahead and tag it however you like—this is prime grow lima beans territory.

Once you taste a truly fresh lima bean—creamy, rich, and not bitter—you’ll get why growing them is worth a little space in your yard. And you’ll probably never look at store-bought limas the same way again.

Monday, February 23, 2026

Good morning. It is 36° but at least it did not freeze. It is time to go to work for me but I wanted to get out this week's article before I started pulling orders. The high should reach 69°.

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Precisely ten years ago today, (actual date was February 29, 2016) I quit my corporate job paying medical claims and started working at David's Garden Seeds® full time. I like to celebrate the occasion each year. Paying medical claims wasn't bad but the supervisor I had at that time was horrible! I was in medical insurance since 1981 and I was pretty good at it. Sometimes it's not the job, it's the people who make your life miserable. Thank God that He delivered me from that!

Return from Grow Lima Beans to Year 7 Of Farm Life

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