When to Plant Lima Beans
Lima beans are a tender warm-season vegetable. Frost damages them, so they go out only after the last spring frost.
Sow them outdoors 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost. The first harvest comes about 65 to 80 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 29 – May 13 | May 29 – Jun 12 |
| Harvest | Jun 2 – 30 | Jul 3 – 31 | Aug 2 – 30 |
Growing lima beans
Limas need more warmth than snap beans, so wait until the soil is truly warm before sowing.
- Spacing: 4 in apart, in rows 30 in apart. In a raised bed, 9 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 65 to 80 from sowing, then about 4 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: lima beans are in the bean family. Plant them where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant lima beans and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can lima beans go in before the last frost?
No. Lima beans are damaged by frost: sow them 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost.
How long do lima beans take to grow?
About 65 to 80 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 4 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: All About Beans
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah