Starting Limas from Seed - Help!

[stellina615]

Hi everyone,

Could anyone please offer some suggestions on starting limas from seed? I am relatively new to starting my vegetables from seed, and last year, when I tried to start limas under a full-spectrum lamp and some heat under the pots, the seeds just got moldy and none of them germinated. Our growing season is short here in New England, so I can't just pop the seeds in the ground without getting them started inside. What am I doing wrong? Thanks,

-Erin (zone 5)

[TennOC]

Big limas might need to be planted on edge, eye down. That way they don't have to lift a ton of dirt to sprout out.

[BeckyW]

You might experiment with Henderson bush lima. It's a 65 day lima that we can grow here in Colorado in zone 5a. You might have success with it where you are. We can't grow any of the longer maturity date limas in Colorado because our nights get too cold late in our short growing season.

Baker Creek sells the seed. It's pretty easy to find that variety. We direct seed it one week after we plant our green beans. We easily get 2 pickings in a typical summer, and when we have a longer summer like 2010, we get 3 pickings before frost.

BW

[sue loves seeds]

Hi stellina , may be you plant seeds to deep or water them to much after you put them in pots.I set my plants on the heater . I hope this helps

[redneckplanter]

need to google innoculant fer da beans...smiles
maybe auntie em will chime in?smiles

[Emerald]

Originally Posted by redneckplanter

need to google innoculant fer da beans...smiles
maybe auntie em will chime in?smiles

Well reddy you know how I start my limas right? I walks them to the big white, water filled porcelain bowl in the little room and drop them in and when they sink to the bottom I use the little special handle to make sure they land in the planting medium!

[Emerald]

Originally Posted by stellina615

Hi everyone,

Could anyone please offer some suggestions on starting limas from seed? I am relatively new to starting my vegetables from seed, and last year, when I tried to start limas under a full-spectrum lamp and some heat under the pots, the seeds just got moldy and none of them germinated. Our growing season is short here in New England, so I can't just pop the seeds in the ground without getting them started inside. What am I doing wrong? Thanks,

-Erin (zone 5)

Have you tried just folding the beans in some damp, but not dripping paper towel and putting the rolled up damp paper towel in a baggy on top of the fridge for a day or so and when the beans break dormancy showing just a small little tail you carefully put them in your pots. Then under the lamp and on the heater pad if your home is too cold. If your home is over 68° F then maybe you don't need supplemental heat.

Don't pay no attention to my hatred if limas... Some folks do eat them.. just look at ol' red he loves em!

[redneckplanter]

Originally Posted by Emerald

Well reddy you know how I start my limas right? I walks them to the big white, water filled porcelain bowl in the little room and drop them in and when they sink to the bottom I use the little special handle to make sure they land in the planting medium!

rotfl!!!!!!!!:

[MVNewf]

BeckyW may be right Henderson Lima Beans do well for short season/northern climate. I grew Henderson Lima Beans last summer in big containers and they did fine... I put them directly into the containers outside the last week in May, they grew nicely, but I did not pick lima beans until late August....but there were plenty of them to pick. They do take a long time to reach maturity. I think Henderson Lima Beans are probably the only ones that would work well in northern climates....

[RozieDozie]

Originally Posted by Emerald

Well reddy you know how I start my limas right? I walks them to the big white, water filled porcelain bowl in the little room and drop them in and when they sink to the bottom I use the little special handle to make sure they land in the planting medium!

For a minute I thought you were serious about soaking your seeds in the porcelain throne. And then you flushed...