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Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
  • Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)
Grandma Ernestine's Lima Bean (pole)

Phaseolus lunatus
$4.50
Description

One of the first varieties passed on to Melissa that was a personal project to keep a family heirloom alive. Nine years ago, her friend Adam shared these butterbean (lima bean) seeds from his Gainesville garden. They were his grandmother Ernestine's, and a variety that has been grown in Mississippi since before 1900. This vigorous, drought tolerant, productive lima bean bears loads of tasty pods in the heat of summer and maturing into fall, depending on when you plant. Vines will climb over 10 ft tall, so be sure to trellis them. We sow in April and they produce until frost, with plenty for eating and plenty for seed saving. As far as cooking: most Southern recipes begin thus: "First, fry three strips of bacon..." Butterbeans usually get boiled from the dry or fresh state with a bacon-grease or ham-bone addition for flavor. The bacon and grease of course isn't really necessary‚ the flavor is rich enough to do without.

**Please save your own seeds for future use. Very limited supply.**
Product details
  • About 30 days
  • 65 days to harvest
  • Locally saved at the Wildflower Seed Cooperative
How to grow

Legumes are able to manufacture their own nitrogen (magic + science!) and typically do not need very rich soil or much fertilization at all. Well composted and healthy soils are still encouraged, but you will not need to offer them much in the way of fertilizer. In fact, too much will encourage rampant leafy growth at the expense of the pods.

Plant about 1"-1.5" deep, spaced 4-8" apart. If they are a pole/vining variety they will do best planted with a support to climb. Bush and semi-vining types do not require trellising. They do not tolerate frosts and so should only be planted when we're not expecting any more freezes. Beans can also be planted in the early fall. Direct sowing is recommended as legumes don't typically appreciate the trauma of starting in a pot and then going into the ground.

 
How to save seeds

Legumes (beans and peas) are among the easiest seeds to save! However, our humidity can make it challenging to harvest dried seed pods. Late summer planted beans that mature into the drier fall weather are better for seed saving.

Allow seeds to dry indoors once picked, and shell soon to avoid molds and pests that hide in the pods. Harvest early and bring indoors if they are close to maturity but the humidity is high. Continue drying with silica or clay beads, or in a household dehydrator at low temperature.

Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are unlikely to cross with one another and only need to be separated by 10-20ft if you are growing other beans and want to keep the varieties pure.

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus) are more likely to cross-pollinate. We have seen large heavy bees working all of our legume flowers, likely crossing them from time to time. This only matters if you are trying to keep varieties pure.

Seed can easily be saved from just 1 plant, but 5-10 is better, while 20+ is even better.

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