2015 Bean Grow List

[john]

Hi George
That is exactly what I did this year, it worked great for me. I will have to do it again next year and see if I can duplicate the results.

Philagardener, In my location in order to get full production and a big harvest window on the longer season types, I have to get the limas in the garden between May 15th and Memorial day. Even earlier if possible. Where you are located I think early May would certainly be o.k., you may even try late April. I have found they will germinate in cooler conditions in my soil which is well drained. I am not so sure if that would be true in a heavier soil.
I like the Christmas Limas for the pole type. I will have to cut some poles and grow some next year. It has been quite a while since I last grew them.

[philagardener]

Thanks, John, for the suggestion of starting limas early. I also do what George suggested for harvesting my beans in general, but find that getting the seeds out of the pods when they start to go limp from drying is better than waiting until they are crisp (which sometimes seems to take forever with our MidAtlantic humidity in late Summer).

My sense was that beans in general don't like cold, wet soil (mine is heavy clay) so I typically wait for things to warm up before putting them in the ground, and thought (for some reason) limas were at least as sensitive so was sowing them later rather than earlier. I do have raised beds to help on both counts, and next Spring I will push the planting envelope earlier to see what happens. Christmas seemed to take forever when I tried it (making me wonder about the name, but believe it is for the beauties found then you open the pods); I had a bit better luck with the Fordhook 242s one year when we had a nice warm Fall and will have to try them again (as a local Burpee-originated selection).

Thanks for the useful suggestions!

[macmex]

I haven't grown Christmas Limas since the early 80s, when we lived in Northern Indiana. They did wonderfully there. The climate was similar to the Mid Atlantic, in terms of frost dates. But I'd say it had a bit more heat to it during the summer and a bit less humidity.

This year I planted Black Jungle Lima and Calico Willow Leaf Pole. I've gotten some dry seed from Calico Willow Leaf. But so far Black Jungle has only got green pods. Our first frost is usually about now. So, we'll see. My theory is that Oklahoma's summer heat causes most limas to abort after flowering.

Here's a picture of Calico Willow Leaf.


I need to take a picture of the dried seed. It's simply a red, putty colored seed with black markings. It's a sieva type. 

[john]

George those are awesome. If you hadn't told me the name of the Lima, I would have thought the leaves in the picture were from some kind of weed that I have never seen before.