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Post by samyaza on Mar 27, 2012 2:22:26 GMT -5
Hello. I purchased bush Lima beans 'Dixie Speckled Butterpea' for 2012.  There is a risk of cool and wet weather during the summer (as of a heat wave I know Lima beans can bear pretty well). I read Lima beans wouldn't stand such conditions. What is your opinion ? Did anyone try this variety in the North ? |
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Post by raymondo on Mar 27, 2012 4:21:23 GMT -5
Nice looking beans. I can't grow limas here because of the cool summer nights. Daytime temps can be reasonable but nights usually hover around 12°C to 15°C. Limas don't seem to appreciate it.
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Post by DarJones on Mar 27, 2012 12:45:59 GMT -5
There are two subspecies, one is commonly referred to as the potato lima and the other as the sieva type. While most lima's are pretty easy to cross, I've had no crosses between the subspecies. I won't say it can't be done, just that I haven't seen it.
Dixie butterpea is of the Sieva type but it is a bush plant. It is tolerant of high temps and makes a good crop if planted early here in the deep south. I would make a point of putting them somewhere with full sun and a good southern exposure. If you can modify the microclimate just a tad, they should produce for you.
DarJones
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 27, 2012 19:15:26 GMT -5
What is your opinion ? Did anyone try this variety in the North ? I plant lima beans every spring. I have never yet harvested a lima bean. |
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Post by 12540dumont on Mar 27, 2012 20:23:26 GMT -5
Hi I've done both types of Limas...The big 'uns like Christmas Limas, need it hot. Last year I didn't get any. The year before, a bumper car full. The smaller ones like Violet's Every Colored Butter Beans did okay in last year's cool summer. Dar is right, if you can put them somewhere where it's hot all the time, you'll get a better crop. I have the SW side of my house, or on the SW side of the grapevines. Both of these areas are hot and don't get the wind. Attachments:
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Post by paquebot on Mar 27, 2012 21:36:33 GMT -5
Dixie Speckled Butterpea has done very well for me in Wisconsin for past 3 years. 2011 was lowest but was in poor soil. Don't crowd them as they do best at 8" minimum spacing. Then they may become quite bushy.
Martin
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Post by turtleheart on Mar 29, 2012 2:58:04 GMT -5
they make one pod before death here
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Post by samyaza on May 9, 2012 6:53:13 GMT -5
paquebot : I'm a bit relieved to read you. My climate during the summer is a bit like yours : hot during the day (~35°C when it's sunny), fresh during the night. I usually have a warm September and sometimes a nice October. My first frosts are expected for mid-October.
The true problem is when it rains, and last summers were really rainy !
Also, the climate is changing. Now, we can have a hot weather in April or even March (35°C in the sun in April 2012), and really fresh rainy period in the summer (14°C during the afternoon in July 2011).
Winters are getting colder, too. We're supposed to be in 7b but now have 20°C ever winter. 5 years ago, we hadn't seen less than 10°C for decades !
Time will tell if this pretty Lima bean can adapt here.
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Post by 12540dumont on May 9, 2012 19:01:52 GMT -5
Sam, if you get ANY at all, save them and replant. I had a much better success rate with limas from my own seed the second year.
Hope this works with okra...which gave me all of one okra last year.
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Post by samyaza on May 10, 2012 12:26:27 GMT -5
I chose this one because it was the earliest I could find. Christmas Lima bean (just the name) and recommendations about this species were explicit enough to make me wiser.
By experience, I know pole Phaseolus vulgaris are far later than bushy ones. By caution, I preferred a bush lima bean for first try. It must be slower to grow than expected so it's better if it's early.
joseph : you must have very hot days but cold nights and only 100 frost-free days : apparently not enough for the Lima beans you tried. You must need it to end faster. Have you ever tried tepary bean instead ? As I understood, it was domesticated in the arid Southwest (not so far from Utah in fact...), it's usually early, productive (but small) and very good.
Lima bean is something new in France, but tepary bean is completely unknown. I fear it would be even worse. It may depend on the variety also. I need experience of minimal adaptation in Europe before I try it too.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 10, 2012 12:34:42 GMT -5
I am growing tepary beans for the first time this summer. I don't worry about drought tolerance because we have a great irrigation system with abundant water, but I expect that the huge day/night temperature swings in my garden would be familiar to the tepary beans.
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Post by samyaza on Sept 18, 2012 15:51:22 GMT -5
joseph : what about your tepary beans ? I've just remembered about you, as I found an heirloom tepary from southern Utah on native seeds online shop. My Dixie speckled butterpeas had a very bad time this year : they sprouted really fast in mid-May, but found a really cool weather until August ( yes, 15°C in the afternoon, if you ask ). But they still managed to flower and now, we've had nearly no rain since then ( just 15mm a week or two ago, but the soil keeps dry ), with an exceptionally hot week in mid-August and the pods are full. Of course, I never watered them. Except during the heat wave, night temps have been cool and even cold right now. I'm sure they could have been very earlier if the weather had been hotter, but they proved me they can overcome such difficult conditions. A risk of frost is forecasted for Thursday morning, I have butterflies. Please, not now, it's too early !  |
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Post by 12540dumont on Sept 19, 2012 18:43:23 GMT -5
Sam, No, not the "F" word....no no no.
I'm not ready. Don't even think it.
I've had 1600 GDD this year and I just need a few more. After Oct 15 you can think winter, but we haven't even had the first day of Autumn yet, so NO to Frost.
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