Allotments 4 All

I noticed Lima beans mentioned on another bean thread... "because we can't grow the Lima beans very successfully in the UK, the name 'butterbean' got transferred to other beans, mainly runner beans.  It is strange though that these other white beans seem to hail from Italy and Greece, where they could actually grow Lima beans." Galina
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,66916.msg681129/topicseen.html#new

Which reminded me that although a gamble I'm having a go at growing Fordhook 242 Bush Lima.  These are meant to be the best Lima for northern and maritime regions (US.) My seeds are sown and went in the propagator yesterday, I'll hopefully be growing them on in a polytunnel later on. Not expecting much but it would be fantastic to get some to cook!

Franchi sell lima beans, though not the big white ones. I have grown them successfully. Unfortunately I had to harvest them so late they didn't dry properly and went mouldy. The pods were really interesting - tough as old boots, but you could just see the beans inside against the sun. I'm up north by the way, and when I picked them finally it was snowing

Thank you for the report Bugloss.  Will follow your progress with interest JayB.

Always interesting to hear about marginal crops.  There is climate change for one, the other reason is the effect of acclimatising.  Maybe after a few generations here, a really suitable lima bean will emerge.  If (and it is a big if) the seeds are also grown in this country of course.

It will quite possibly be amateur gardeners who will achieve a better UK acclimatised lima bean, because their seeds will not be grown in hot, cheap labour countries.

you're welcome to try some of my Franchi beans by the way, or why not buy some dried beans from Tesco. They germinate very easily, because I tried them

my recollection of lima beans is they grow as bush or vigorous vine. Vines need a longer season. They come as small, misshapen coloured beans which we are unfamiliar with (and don't look that great), as big cream butterbeans, and as something inbetween. The big ones need a longer season. The Franchi beans look something inbetween, that is they have the butterbean shape but are coloured...

A few years ago in what turne dout t be a cool summer here, I grew Bianca di Espagna from Seeds of Italy.  They seem very butter bean like.  They did very well and I found they froze very well, straight from the pod, so had no problems with mouldy bits.

they're runner beans. Very good too

LAst year I grew what turned out to be a bush lima bean which didn't do too well, got a crop near the end of the year but could get any dried out and also a Giganda (giant white runnerbeany butterbean)... Gigandas started setting pretty early so I got plenty dried (you're welcome to some for an SAE, PM me for address) and at the end of the season I harvested everything off the by then enormous plants (these things are big beans in big pods on big plants) and froze a load successfully... they're very nice too.... I've giot another Lima to try this year and the Gigandas are already well over a foot tall cos I planted them early indoors and am planning on putting them out tonight if the the weather looks OK (or I'll fleece them, I've got spare fleece...)

chrisc

interesting reading folks !
I grew and manage to save a dozen Gigandes last year and am just chitting them, hope to have a few more this year to share around. The rest were frozen straight from the pod, and went down a treat! But have to agree they did take an age to ripen.

I think what you are saying Galina, rings very true - the amateur gardener growing a variety that over time, grows and produces well sounds entirely possible to me.

also have some Lima beans from franchi, but need to figure out where I could plant them  ::)

I grew lima beans in the  UK, I have just pulled my old notes.

Hendersons  was the best bush one and King of the Garden was the best pole one.

These two matured early and did
well for me they were way ahead of the others which is why I think they did well. I was quite surprised at the pole one  being on a par with the bush one.

They were all started early in pots and went out as fairly big plants.


Christmas Pole didn't make it to maturity apart from the odd bean

I think to grow them in the UK it may well bne a good idea to find out which are the earliest to mature.

XX Jeannine


Fordhook were later then the first two but I did get a harvest.

Quote from: Jeannine on May 03, 2011, 20:06:51
I grew lima beans in the  UK, I have just pulled my old notes.

Hendersons  was the best bush one and King of the Garden was the best pole one.

These two matured early and did
well for me they were way ahead of the others which is why I think they did well. I was quite surprised at the pole one  being on a par with the bush one.

They were all started early in pots and went out as fairly big plants.


Christmas Pole didn't make it to maturity apart from the odd bean

I think to grow them in the UK it may well bne a good idea to find out which are the earliest to mature.

XX Jeannine


Fordhook were later then the first two but I did get a harvest.

Some of my pole beans last year were very early.... pretty much the first beans I got were Mennonite Stripes, beaten only by the Ernie's Big-Eye if memory serves and about equal to the Soldier, both dwarf bush beans... next through and easily my best bean last year in terms of productivity that was useful was Polish Climber, it's like an early slightly smaller Borlotti, and although in a good year Borlotti (and Bird Egg probably and Bridgewater possibly) will beat it hollow for crop weight, it sets and gets cropping so early that the the plants will have died before you get a BOrlotti in a bad year.... my last dried Polish came off the same day I had the first fresh crop off the Borlottis leaving the first setters to dry)... in the end I did get a good crop off the BOrlotti's but it was touch and go at the end and a lot got used fresh/frozen..... nearly all the Polish were dried out..... I'm growing a lot more of them this year than last.....

Thanks for all the info and feedback, really interesting.

I thought to grow them in the polytunnel this year to give them the best chance I can. The last few summers here have been very poor cold and wet really.

Thanks for the offer Chrisc, but I find them too much of a thug grown inside and outside they seem to get hammered in the wind here.  Jeannine thanks, I'll keep a look out for those varieties you mention.