Phaseolus lunatus
Lima bean
Common names: Moon bean, Butter bean, Madagascar bean
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) produces large, flat, crescent‑shaped seeds with a buttery, mild texture. It thrives in warmth and requires a long growing season, so it needs a protected, full‑sun location in the garden. Raw beans contain cyanogenic precursors and must be cooked thoroughly before consumption.
Care instructions
Start seeds indoors in a warm pot in May, then transplant the climbing plants to a tall trellis in the warmest spot of the garden from mid‑May onward. Keep the soil consistently moist and provide wind protection. Harvest the pods for fresh beans when the seeds are well developed, or allow them to fully mature and dry for large dry beans.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, loamy, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Light feeder
Companion planting
Good neighbors
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 34 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.
For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
gourd family (Cucurbitaceae)
Beans and peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, which cucurbits, as heavy feeders, can make good use of.
For example Courgettepickling cucumberButternutHokkaidoPatissonSpaghetti squash and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
particularly well establishedAllium species inhibit the nitrogen‑fixing rhizobia of legumes through their root exudates, which slows their growth.
For example ChivesDaffodilRocamboleElephant garlicRed Onionshallot and 9 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop‑rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
Diseases & pests
1 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Uromyces appendiculatus
Bean rust is a fungal disease that occurs above all in high summer on bush beans, pole beans and runner beans.
More on Bean rustNotes from real gardens
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