Bush Lima Bean

Place bush lima beans where their 2-foot height will not shade shorter crops to the north. A rectangular block or short, accessible rows make the crop easier to weed, water, and pick than scattered single plants. Keep a path or open working edge alongside the planting, especially if the bed is wide enough that reaching the center would compress the soil. Corn, squash, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce can share the broader plan; keep onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, chives, and fennel in separate sections.

Plant 6 inches apart, center to center, for a close, continuous row or block. Each plant can spread about 1½ feet at maturity, so foliage will knit together within the row; reserve clearer space at the outside edges and between bed sections for access and air movement. Where rows are used, allow a practical walking and harvesting lane rather than treating the close in-row spacing as the crop’s full footprint.^[1]

Give this crop full sun and regular moisture, placing it where irrigation can reach the root zone evenly. Wait for genuinely warm soil before sowing: lima beans germinate best after soil temperatures have held at 65°F for five days. During dry spells, deep regular watering is particularly important as pods begin to develop.^[1]

Plan on roughly 75 days to maturity, with flowers appearing from mid summer into late summer and picking concentrated from late summer into early fall. Because it is an annual, its space can be reassigned after the harvest window ends. Avoid placing it in a bed needed for an early cool-season crop unless there is a clear handoff plan.