Butter Bean Cultivation

Planting Timetable

• All beans should be planted after the soil has warmed, but butter beans are particularly susceptible to cold, so they should be planted one or two weeks after other beans. The soil temperature needs to be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit -- 65 degrees is better. If you plant butter beans too early, the seeds will rot in the ground.

Varieties

• Several varieties are available, some in colors other than the typical green. White butter beans include Dixie Butterpea White and Henderson Bush. Two red-speckled butter beans are Dixie Butterpea Speckled and Jackson Wonder. Red-coated heirloom cultivars can be found as well. When planting more than one variety, keep them separated by at least 100 feet to avoid cross-pollination.

Planting

• Soak the seeds for a few hours before sowing them. Plant butter bean seeds 3 to 4 inches apart. Bush lima beans need 6 inches of space between plants, and pole limas should be planted every 10 inches in a row. Plant butter bean seeds to a depth of 3/4 to 1 inch. Large-seeded limas should be planted 1 1/2 inches deep. The beans will sprout in 7 to 10 days. In warm climates, two crops can be planted, one in the spring and another the fall. In more moderate climates, plant the beans every two weeks until the middle of the summer for a continuous harvest.

Watering and Fertilizing

• Butter beans do well during summer's heat, but they need good drainage and regular watering. Water plants weekly if rainfall is less than 1/2 inch. Once the plants flower, increase watering to twice weekly. The beans can benefit from side-dressing with 5-10-15 fertilizer, applied alongside the plants at a distance of 3 inches.

Harvest

• Standard indeterminate (vining) lima beans can take three to four months to mature after planting. Bush limas and the smaller butter beans (baby limas) mature in two to three months. When the pods are filled out and firm, but still bright green, butter beans are ready to be picked for fresh eating. For shell beans, delay the harvest until the beans have dried in their pods.