When to plant lima bean
Vegetable, tender
CSU groups lima beans with very tender crops and says to wait typically 2 or more weeks after the last frost; no separate soil-temperature minimum was in the tables opened. Bush limas take about 65–75 days and pole limas about 70–75.
The general rule
- Sow outdoors
- 2 weeks after the last spring frost
- Days to maturity
- 65–75 days
What that means in different climates
The same rule applied to the safer frost dates of cities from cold to frost-free.
| City | Last frost · safer | Sow outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | Jan 23 | Feb 6 – Feb 6 |
| Tucson, AZ | Mar 2 | Mar 16 – Mar 16 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 4 |
| Baltimore, MD | Apr 4 | Apr 18 – Apr 18 |
| New York, NY | Apr 12 | Apr 26 – Apr 26 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 16 | Apr 30 – Apr 30 |
| Louisville, KY | Apr 23 | May 7 – May 7 |
| Omaha, NE | May 6 | May 20 – May 20 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 15 | May 29 – May 29 |
| Miami, FL | Frost rare | Frost is rare: late winter to spring; late summer to fall. |