How to Grow Fordhook 242 Lima Bush
Phaseolus lunatus 'Fordhook 242'
Fordhook 242 Lima Bush is a reliable warm-season bean variety prized for its sweet, buttery pods and bush habit that saves space in smaller gardens. Gardeners cultivate this heat-tolerant legume to enjoy fresh harvests during the summer months when soil temperatures are consistently high.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Fordhook 242 Lima Bush: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Fordhook 242 Lima Bush is not usually started indoors.
This plant is a warm-season crop that should be direct-sown outdoors only after the last frost date has passed and soil temperatures have warmed sufficiently.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8 for optimal growth. As a warm-season crop, you must wait until after the last spring frost when the ground has warmed up; do not start indoors as this plant is typically direct-sown. Sow seeds about one inch deep in full sun. Expect germination within seven to twelve days once conditions are favorable.
Space plants six to eight inches apart and provide trellises or stakes if the bush variety requires support for heavy pods. Maintain consistent moisture by watering one to one-and-a-half inches per week, ensuring the soil never dries out completely. Apply mulch around the base to retain water and feed the plants regularly during their active growth phase.
Watch for Mexican bean beetles, lima bean pod borers, aphids, downy mildew, bacterial blight, and pod rot. Prevent issues by rotating crops annually, inspecting leaves frequently, and ensuring good air circulation to reduce disease pressure. Harvest pods seventy-five to eighty-five days after sowing when they are young, tender, and before the seeds inside fully mature.
When to Plant Fordhook 242 Lima Bush
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | July – August | October – August |
| Zone 2 | — | June – August | October – September |
| Zone 3 | — | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 4 | — | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 5 | — | May – June | September – October |
| Zone 6 | — | May – June | August – October |
| Zone 7 | — | April – June | August – September |
| Zone 8 | — | April – May | July – September |
| Zone 9 | — | March – April | June – August |
| Zone 10 | — | February – April | June – July |
| Zone 11 | — | January – March | May – June |
| Zone 12 | — | January – March | May – June |
| Zone 13 | — | January – March | May – June |
Companion Plants for Fordhook 242 Lima Bush
✓ Good companions
Loosen soil with deep roots, don't compete for nutrients, beans fix nitrogen for carrots
Provides living mulch, conserves soil moisture, harvested before beans reach full size
Repels Mexican bean beetles, aphids, and nematodes while attracting beneficial insects
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, deters bean beetles
Break up compacted soil, mature quickly before beans need space, deter bean beetles
Repels bean beetles, carrot flies, and cabbage moths with strong aromatic oils
Cool-season crop that uses different nutrients, provides ground cover early in season
Repels bean beetles and aphids, traditionally grown with beans to improve flavor
✗ Keep away from
Inhibits growth of most garden plants including beans through allelopathic effects
May inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation through allelopathic compounds
Compete heavily for nutrients and water, create too much shade for lima beans
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
