anybody grow lima beans?

[Backyard Lumberjack]

my lima bean project took a major setback! rarely if ever do my gardening efforts not work as planned. been at it many years... however, every once in awhile... get my but-t kicked... always the gardener, ever the student!!! since all was going so well, methinks the 10-52-10 may have been too strong. all cratered! [boo hoo!] now I see one has managed to survive. but all is not lost, even if the lifeboat sinks, well... the big ship is still afloat... most of the slow germinating tan seeds have now germinated. and I put in ground the rest of the fordhooks and they have germinated, as well. so, should have a dozen or so sets... and they are about 5-7" tall, so will be transplanting them all soon... film at 11:00.

but in worst case, I will get a tin can of butter beans, and put in bowl... take some pix... and post it up - omg, the lima beans proect really produced - turned out well! lol

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Pic from today. Onions and potatoes. View attachment 495966

what kind of potatoes? reds? la soda? Pontiac? did u buy cert seed potatoes? cut them, or plant whole?... will u hill by hand?.... when do u harvest? what do u dig with, fork? are your onions long day or short day types? type?...

 

[Buckshot00]

Red and white potatoes. Yellow and sweet onions. Onion "sets" and potato "seed". Cut. No hill. Harvest by hand in 4 months. Calling for a hard freeze tonight had to cover taters and grapevines up. The wind was howling.

 

[amberg]

Got the taters in the ground yesterday using the old 46 model 2n ford with a 1 row cultivator. We did three 95' rows and my 73 year old helper set every cut at 16" apart, then covered them with the old 2n. Really made me feel like doing a big garden again! ( He wants me to use the 4 row corn planter to plant 1/4 acre of snap beans, I told him he is crazy, no one will pick that many snaps. )

 

[amberg]

Buckshot00 , It is 37 degrees and 25 mph winds here now. Calling for 28 degrees in morning, ( I hate the wind )

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Got the taters in the ground yesterday using the old 46 model 2n ford with a 1 row cultivator. We did three 95' rows and my 73 year old helper set every cut at 16" apart, then covered them with the old 2n. Really made me feel like doing a big garden again! ( He wants me to use the 4 row corn planter to plant 1/4 acre of snap beans, I told him he is crazy, no one will pick that many snaps. )

when I was a kid, we lived in Pullman, wa... out on the old road to Moscow... I can now return there via google maps... 'walk' the road, hunt for our old place in the farmlands surrounding Pullman... all but cannot even decide what property was ours... so much has changed... however, after more than a couple of 'visits by air'... I finally decided on the one that was ours!!! amm 99.9% sure... well, 100.5% sure!! you see, back then in 1954... my dad, and my mom... had a field area next to our place cultivated. guess it had been a garden once... so tractor 'tilled' it up... and so my folks and us kids... planted potatoes. long rows of potatoes...

believe it or not, that garden plot is still identifiable from the air. no mistake about it, right size, right place... right distance off the road... buildings are changed, added on to, but the old potato patch is still there, although it looks as if never been used again.... but clearly stands out and ID's the old country homestead.... had to take the bus... long ride to school in town...

 

[Buckshot00]

Woke up to 25 degrees. Thought spring was here but I was wrong.

 

[amberg]

Same thing here this morning, with that pesky wind.

 

[chuckwood]

my lima bean project took a major setback! rarely if ever do my gardening efforts not work as planned. been at it many years... however, every once in awhile... get my but-t kicked... always the gardener, ever the student!!! since all was going so well, methinks the 10-52-10 may have been too strong. all cratered! [boo hoo!] now I see one has managed to survive. but all is not lost, even if the lifeboat sinks, well... the big ship is still afloat... most of the slow germinating tan seeds have now germinated. and I put in ground the rest of the fordhooks and they have germinated, as well. so, should have a dozen or so sets... and they are about 5-7" tall, so will be transplanting them all soon... film at 11:00.

but in worst case, I will get a tin can of butter beans, and put in bowl... take some pix... and post it up - omg, the lima beans proect really produced - turned out well! lol

Well shucks, hate to see some limas get setback. I got curious and looked up 10-52-10 and see that it's recommended for use in starting plants. The reasoning behind this is cold temps at startup make phosphorous less available for plants. Only in warmer temps is phosphorous more available for uptake, so a lot of growers use 10-52-10 when starting stuff from seeds. For TN, it's way too early for me to plant limas. When I plant them in May, I notice that they really don't start growing until brutal summer heat in the 90's arrives, that's when they thrive. In cooler temps they just sit there and don't grow. On the seed bags it says 80 days until maturity - not true here! Mine take around 120 days to harvest, at least that's the situation I'm having now with the cooler summers we are having in TN. I plant in June and harvest most of them in October. Limas are tropical and if it's a 100 degrees they'll love it. Texas has a longer growing season that TN, so you should be able to do a replant with no problems.

I'm facing some weather problems right now with the latest "polar vortex" coming down. We will have freeze warnings here in a few days and I may have to place old bedsheets on top of my taters. They like cool weather but don't like freezes. They survive it, but it sets them back, some of the leaves turn brown and die from the cold. My taters are to six inches high and bushing out right now.

 

[chuckwood]

Buckshot00 , It is 37 degrees and 25 mph winds here now. Calling for 28 degrees in morning, ( I hate the wind )

I thought we are having global warming and we're burnin' up everywhere. I'm gonna have to find out right now just what my sugar snap peas can take regarding low temps. If 30 degrees will kill them then tomorrow I'll be shopping at a thrift store buying more old bed sheets to cover stuff with. I've got just enough to cover my taters.

 

[chuckwood]

I told him he is crazy, no one will pick that many snaps. )

Wait about ten years or so, after everything is *really* screwed up. There will be plenty of people willing to pick those snaps.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

Well shucks, hate to see some limas get setback. I got curious and looked up 10-52-10 and see that it's recommended for use in starting plants. The reasoning behind this is cold temps at startup make phosphorous less available for plants. Only in warmer temps is phosphorous more available for uptake, so a lot of growers use 10-52-10 when starting stuff from seeds. For TN, it's way too early for me to plant limas. When I plant them in May, I notice that they really don't start growing until brutal summer heat in the 90's arrives, that's when they thrive. In cooler temps they just sit there and don't grow. On the seed bags it says 80 days until maturity - not true here! Mine take around 120 days to harvest, at least that's the situation I'm having now with the cooler summers we are having in TN. I plant in June and harvest most of them in October. Limas are tropical and if it's a 100 degrees they'll love it. Texas has a longer growing season that TN, so you should be able to do a replant with no problems.

I'm facing some weather problems right now with the latest "polar vortex" coming down. We will have freeze warnings here in a few days and I may have to place old bedsheets on top of my taters. They like cool weather but don't like freezes. They survive it, but it sets them back, some of the leaves turn brown and die from the cold. My taters are to six inches high and bushing out right now.

I would say I got my %'s off... just like a good scotch... all scotch and lil water... too strong! lol

but plenty good lima bean action now... dozen or so young starts, all healthy. and that is a lot of lima pods if they all mature nicely.... tasty lil items fresh from pod, pot... and into bowl, S&P... butta, too...

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I thought we are having global warming and we're burnin' up everywhere. I'm gonna have to find out right now just what my sugar snap peas can take regarding low temps. If 30 degrees will kill them then tomorrow I'll be shopping at a thrift store buying more old bed sheets to cover stuff with. I've got just enough to cover my taters.

I never worry about my peas at 30F! they love it. nor my potato tops... they are cold hardy. I have a very small snap pea patch growing. mostly cause I did some seeds from pkt b4, but dint like the results I got. not sugary tasty pods. but same pack, tried again... and nice! sweet pods. go figure!! ?? I have 6-8 plants... get 6-10 pods, then cook them... great! but extra old sheets good idea. I just get them from neighbors who no longer want them... if things went bad for me $$... [ lol] I could make me a pretty nice 'tent city' shelter... lol... but not sure I would like it when it got to 30F! lol

hit mid 40-s here last nite.... brrr

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

I was gunna transplant my lima starts today, but got tied up with other related matters... prob tomorrow!

 

[amberg]

chuckwood, You might be right, It may not take 10 years. We are having our 2nd thunderstorm of the day as I am typing this, so over 1 1/2" rain today and the weather man just sad we could have snow flurries saturday. That means that I will have to open another ton of pellets that I did not want to have to do this late! ( More global warming )

 

[amberg]

I was gunna transplant my lima starts today, but got tied up with other related matters... prob tomorrow!

Go for it, Don't think you have much snow down there.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

my 2nd series lima bean starts did well and so I got the Fordhooks in other day. now, several days later having been planted in compost and well watered they are off and running. these pix are from time I planted. of the tan seeds I now have 5 plants. all dif sizes. will transplant them tomorrow most likely...

Fordhook limas seeds planted and growing, now to be transplanted

dif angle view

moved them via small trowel, plants had very nice root balls...

bucket of compost from compost bins area... planted limas in compost, compost put into holes... all soil friable. compost about 5-6 yrs old.

this lil guy now in new home. planted 6. was late in day. no sun. good time to transplant. plants doing well, will post some more pix nxt day or so of their progress....

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

well, my lima bean project is now, finally... in the 'sit back and let's see' stage. all plants transplanted. first planting off and running, all bigger 5 days later. seem to love that compost!! and got all the tan seed limas in yesterday... 12 plants in all, and as of this date all very healthy... one however is at the bottom of the heap... but is being babied... so remain optimistic. plan to do their waterings with miracle grow All Purpose... its a 26-8-13 or so.... film at 11!

 

[amberg]

They look good, keep them going I know you can't wait to pick them. It will be about another month here before I can plant beans. ( maybe more ) I did get myself together enough to plow one of the sweet corn patches and 2 sunflower patches saturday.

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

They look good, keep them going I know you can't wait to pick them. It will be about another month here before I can plant beans. ( maybe more ) I did get myself together enough to plow one of the sweet corn patches and 2 sunflower patches saturday.

amberg, thanks! sounds like as far as gardening ... you are getting some spring fever! lol... my lima beans are doing very well... tall, strong, perky, handsome... and spitting out plenty of new growth and leaves... the clock is counting. a neighbor friend and fellow gardener offered me some Miracle Grow... tomato food. 18-18-21. nice #'s... kinda like 13-13-13 or triple 13. but a bit more N, Po, K.... it should do well as a balance 'side dresser' for the limas and other garden items...