When to Plant Lima Bean in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
That soil figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 6:55 this morning, not a model.
What this month normally looks like in Subtropical
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.
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This Lima Bean guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Aug to Apr
- Days to harvest
- about 11 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5 (general bean practice).
Lima bean, sold in Australia as Madagascar bean or butter bean, is a vigorous frost tender perennial climber to 2 metres or more, grown as an annual in cool areas and regrowing each year in warm ones (The Seed...
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
- Jan D
- Feb D
- Mar D
- Apr D
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug D
- Sep D
- Oct D
- Nov D
- Dec D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Subtropical zone right now, Lima Bean included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Lima Bean in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil enriched with compost.
- Salt
- Moderately tolerant. Handles slightly salty water better than most veggies.
- pH Range
- 6.0 to 7.5 (general bean practice).
- Sunlight
- Full sun (The Seed Collection).
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 80cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular deep water through flowering and pod fill; the vine is large and thirsty in summer.
- Good companions
- Sweet Corn, Sunflower
- Keep away from
- onion family
- Grow before it
- Roots and alliums (Carrot, Beetroot, Onion)
- Grow after it
- Leafy greens and brassicas (Lettuce, Silverbeet, Broccoli)
Give the bed 3 turns before legumes go back in. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, so they leave the bed richer than they found it.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Lima Bean
Recommended Varieties
- Madagascar bean (The Seed Collection)
- Lima bean (Succeed Heirlooms)
Key Challenges
- Vine weight on the trellis
Pro Tips
- Build the trellis before sowing (The Seed Collection).
- Boil every batch at least 30 minutes and discard the water (Oregon State University Extension).
Harvesting Lima Bean
When ready: Young pods for steaming while flat and green; shelling beans when pods are plump; dried beans when pods are papery and rattle (The Seed Collection).
How to harvest: Pick by hand; dried pods shell easily.
Storing and preserving lima bean
How to keep it
- Freezing green beans. Shell, blanch 2 to 4 minutes by size, cool, pack with 1 cm headspace (NCHFP). Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Dry storage. Dry pods on the plant until they rattle, shell, spread the seeds on trays for another week in a dry airy spot, then jar. Freeze the jar for 48 hours first if you want to kill any weevil eggs (USU storing dry beans, via the existing chickpea record). Keeps: 12 months or more.
- Freezing cooked beans. Cook fully, cool, freeze in portions with a little liquid. Keeps: 8 to 12 months.
- Pressure canning. Soak 12 to 18 hours, boil 30 minutes, pack hot with 2.5 cm headspace, process at 10 to 11 psi for 75 minutes (pints) or 90 minutes (quarts) (NCHFP). Keeps: 12 months.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Lima Bean
When do you plant lima bean in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Feb to Oct
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan, Oct to Dec
Can you grow lima bean all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Lima Bean in Brisbane?
Sow direct from August to April (The Seed Collection chart for subtropical areas), 30 mm deep, rows 80 cm apart and 60 cm between plants on a strong trellis. The vine is a frost tender perennial that regrows each year in warm areas (The Seed Collection).
What soil temperature do Lima Bean need?
Lima Bean germinate best when soil temperature is between 16°C and 24°C.
How do I know when Lima Bean are ready to harvest?
Young pods for steaming while flat and green; shelling beans when pods are plump; dried beans when pods are papery and rattle (The Seed Collection).
What are the best Lima Bean varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: Madagascar bean (The Seed Collection), Lima bean (Succeed Heirlooms).
What grows well with Lima Bean?
Good companion plants for Lima Bean include: Sweet Corn, Sunflower.
Are lima bean salt tolerant?
Fairly. Lima bean are moderately tolerant of salt and handle slightly salty water better than most veggies.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.