Lima Bean Suggestions Wanted

strax · February 13, 2014

I'd like to try some pole lima beans for the market this year. looking for great flavor and production. any suggestions?

thanks,

shelleybean · February 14, 2014

For a pole lima, I really like the flavor of Willow Leaf White. That is my favorite variety. SESE and Victory used to carry it but neither has it this year. My second choice would be a larger seeded variety called King of the Garden. It has very tall vines and is very productive.

strax · February 14, 2014

thank you,

shelly!

Hermitian · February 14, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelleybean

For a pole lima, I really like the flavor of Willow Leaf White. That is my favorite variety. SESE and Victory used to carry it but neither has it this year. My second choice would be a larger seeded variety called King of the Garden. It has very tall vines and is very productive.

Thank you! I found some at Reimer Seeds and a few other places with Google search.

shelleybean · February 17, 2014

Both varieties are available at Vermont Bean this year. I will be growing Willow Leaf White.

saltmarsh · February 17, 2014

Lima beans once they get about 8 inches tall will protect plants in nearby rows from potato beetles and flea beetles (such as eggplant). After I harvested the lima beans, I made a tea from the lima bean leaves to see if it will provide protection until the limas get big enough to start working this Spring. Claud

strax · February 17, 2014

i ordered some of the willow leaf.

very interesting on the flea beatles. nothing i have tried has worked very well for flea beatles on eggplant. you are saying that just planting them nearby will help, eh? worth a shot. txs

saltmarsh · February 17, 2014

"very interesting on the flea beatles. nothing i have tried has worked very well for flea beatles on eggplant. you are saying that just planting them nearby will help, eh? worth a shot. txs "

Yes, I read a little blurb somewhere on the internet, just "I heard lima beans will keep potato beetles off eggplant." No details or anything else. The garlic pepper spray I use on everything wasn't working for me in this regard so I planted a row of Early Long Purple eggplant in the middle of a 4' raised bed with 30" between plants. Then I planted two rows of Henderson Bush Baby lima beans on either side of the eggplant on the same bed. I had some extra eggplant transplants left over so I planted them on the next row without any lima beans. About 6 feet from the row with the limas.

As soon as the eggplant were in the ground, flea beetles buckshotted the leaves and I had to hand pick the potato beetles and larva on a daily basis for about 3 weeks until the limas leafed out, then the flea beetles and potato beetles abandoned the Eggplant. But it also worked for the row of eggplants which was planted 6' away.

And vegetable trellis netting really works for tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans.

Ken B · June 13, 2014

There's a few different strains of Willow Leaf White out there. I'm with SESE, we like to carry Willow Leaf White, but a few years ago we realized that the strain we have isn't as willow-y as it could be. I was at a talk David Bradshaw was giving, and he showed a slide of his Willow Leaf White crop, which had nice long, thin leaves -- much more willow-y than the wider triangular leafed strain that we had. So we've been trying to do a seed increase of Dr. Bradshaw's strain, and hopefully in a few years we'll be back to having it again!

Heavenly Seed has Dr. Bradshaw's strain -- http://www.heavenlyseed.net/proddeta...tterbeansPkt50

saltmarsh · June 13, 2014

The Lima bean tea does work. I used it at transplant on my eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers. Repelled the flea beatles and Colorado Potato beatles. The only plants with any potato beatles were some Sophie's Choice tomatoes which weren't sprayed at a later planting. Crushed the larvae and sprayed with tea. No more problems.

To make the tea put 3 gallons of hot water and 1 packed gallon of lima bean hulls and fresh leaves into a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Remove heat and allow to cool covered overnight.

When the tea has cooled, strain and store in containers (I use 2 liter drink bottles). Store out of direct sunlight until needed.

After a few months, a mold will form around the top of the tea. This does not effect the tea, simply strain before using.

To use, spray full strength on plants at transplant. Respray every 7 - 10 days or after heavy rain as needed.

This year I'm trying an Italian heirloom, Super Marconi from Franchi Seeds and I interplanted the lima beans with the tomatoes peppers and eggplant. Claud

http://www.growitalian.com/bean-pole...marconi-57-30/

Ken B · June 17, 2014

Interesting!! So did you save and use lima bean hulls from last year?

saltmarsh · June 17, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken B

Interesting!! So did you save and use lima bean hulls from last year?

Ken I made tea from the hulls last year for use this year. It kept fine without refrigeration. Claud

Ken B · June 18, 2014

Claud -- green hulls or brown hulls?

saltmarsh · June 18, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken B

Claud -- green hulls or brown hulls?

Green hulls and leaves. 1 packed gallon of leaves and hulls + 3 gallons of water = 3 gallons of tea.

Ken B · June 21, 2014

Thanks -- a couple other things = was Henderson Bush the variety you made the tea with? And, at what temperature did you store the lima bean tea?

February 13, 2014	#1
strax Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: z5 Posts: 146	Lima Bean Suggestions Wanted I'd like to try some pole lima beans for the market this year. looking for great flavor and production. any suggestions? thanks,

February 14, 2014	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	For a pole lima, I really like the flavor of Willow Leaf White. That is my favorite variety. SESE and Victory used to carry it but neither has it this year. My second choice would be a larger seeded variety called King of the Garden. It has very tall vines and is very productive. __________________ Michele

February 17, 2014	#5
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Both varieties are available at Vermont Bean this year. I will be growing Willow Leaf White. __________________ Michele

February 17, 2014	#6
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	Lima beans once they get about 8 inches tall will protect plants in nearby rows from potato beetles and flea beetles (such as eggplant). After I harvested the lima beans, I made a tea from the lima bean leaves to see if it will provide protection until the limas get big enough to start working this Spring. Claud

June 13, 2014	#9
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	There's a few different strains of Willow Leaf White out there. I'm with SESE, we like to carry Willow Leaf White, but a few years ago we realized that the strain we have isn't as willow-y as it could be. I was at a talk David Bradshaw was giving, and he showed a slide of his Willow Leaf White crop, which had nice long, thin leaves -- much more willow-y than the wider triangular leafed strain that we had. So we've been trying to do a seed increase of Dr. Bradshaw's strain, and hopefully in a few years we'll be back to having it again! Heavenly Seed has Dr. Bradshaw's strain -- http://www.heavenlyseed.net/proddeta...tterbeansPkt50

June 17, 2014	#11
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	Interesting!! So did you save and use lima bean hulls from last year?

June 18, 2014	#13
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	Claud -- green hulls or brown hulls?

June 21, 2014	#15
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	Thanks -- a couple other things = was Henderson Bush the variety you made the tea with? And, at what temperature did you store the lima bean tea?