Fordhook 242 Lima Bush
Phaseolus lunatus 'Fordhook 242'
An improved version of the classic Fordhook Lima, this heat-tolerant variety produces large, plump seeds with the creamy texture and buttery flavor lima bean lovers crave. Developed for better performance in warm climates, it's more reliable than older lima varieties while maintaining that distinctive rich taste. This bush variety eliminates the need for staking while delivering impressive yields of premium-quality beans.
Harvest
75-85d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
4–11
USDA hardiness
Difficulty
Moderate
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Fordhook 242 Lima Bush in USDA Zone 7
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Fordhook 242 Lima Bush · Zones 4–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | — | July – August | October – August |
| Zone 2 | — | — | June – August | October – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – March | May – June |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – March | May – June |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – March | May – June |
| 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 |
Succession Planting
Direct sow Fordhook 242 every 14-18 days once soil temperature reaches 65°F — in zone 7 that's typically late April. The UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar flags lima beans as a crop to make a third sowing in May, which aligns with a two-sowing approach: one in late April, a follow-up in late May or early June. Cut off sowings by mid-June; limas drop flowers and fail to set pods reliably once daytime highs are consistently above 90°F, and the 75-85 day maturity window means a June 15 sowing pushes harvest deep into August heat.
Space seeds 6-8 inches apart in the row and don't rush the first planting. Soil below 60°F produces poor germination and the seed often rots in the ground before sprouting. If emergence is sparse at the 7-12 day mark, check soil temp before assuming disease.
Complete Growing Guide
Start your Fordhook 242 Lima Bush journey by preparing a sunny site with loose, well-draining soil enriched with 2-3 inches of compost or aged manure. These heat-loving beans demand soil temperatures of at least 65°F—use a soil thermometer rather than guessing, as cold soil leads to poor germination and potential seed rot.
For direct sowing, plant seeds 1.5-2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart in rows spaced 24-30 inches wide. In zones 7-9, direct sow 2-3 weeks after your last frost date when nights consistently stay above 50°F. Northern gardeners in zones 3-6 should start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting to extend the growing season, using biodegradable pots since lima beans hate root disturbance.
Amend your soil with a balanced organic fertilizer (10-10-10) at planting, then side-dress with compost when plants reach 6 inches tall. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which promote excessive foliage at the expense of bean production. Lima beans fix their own nitrogen once established, so resist the urge to over-fertilize.
Maintain consistent moisture—about 1 inch per week—but ensure excellent drainage. Inconsistent watering causes flower and pod drop, a common complaint with lima beans. Mulch heavily with straw or shredded leaves to retain moisture and suppress weeds, keeping mulch 2 inches away from stems to prevent fungal issues.
Avoid the mistake of planting too early or in heavy clay soil. Lima beans are more finicky than snap beans and won't tolerate cool, wet conditions. In humid climates, provide adequate air circulation by not overcrowding plants. The bush habit means no staking required, but support may help in windy areas.
Maximize yields by harvesting regularly once pods begin forming. Each plant can produce for 4-6 weeks when consistently picked. In hot climates above 85°F, provide afternoon shade with row covers to prevent flower drop during heat waves.
Harvesting
Harvest Fordhook 242 Lima Bush beans when the pods reach full size and feel firm but still slightly yielding to gentle pressure, typically displaying a mature green to yellowish-green color rather than brown. The individual beans inside should feel plump and substantial without rattling when you shake the pod. This variety responds well to continuous harvesting—pick pods every two to three days once production begins to encourage the plant to set more flowers and extend your yield throughout the season. For peak flavor and texture, avoid waiting until pods dry completely on the plant; instead, harvest while beans are still tender and the pods maintain some pliability, ideally in early morning when plants are fully hydrated and beans are at their creamiest.
Edibility: EDIBLE PARTS: Toxicity is only partially destroyed by cooking; therefore do not cook the ornamental, striped beans grown for the flowers and foliage
Storage & Preservation
Fresh lima beans should be shelled and used within 2-3 days for peak flavor and texture. Store unshelled pods in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator at 32-35°F with high humidity. Once shelled, the beans keep 3-4 days refrigerated in airtight containers.
For freezing, blanch shelled beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately plunge into ice water. Drain thoroughly and freeze in portions. Frozen lima beans maintain quality for 10-12 months.
To dry beans for long-term storage, leave pods on plants until completely dry and papery. Shell the beans and ensure they're fully dry (should shatter when hit with a hammer). Store in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for up to 3 years. Properly dried lima beans are excellent for winter soups, stews, and traditional succotash.
History & Origin
The Fordhook 242 Lima Bush descends from the original Fordhook Lima, a classic variety developed by the W. Atlee Burpee seed company in the early twentieth century. While detailed documentation of the specific breeding work and year behind the Fordhook 242 designation remains limited in readily available sources, this improved strain represents deliberate selection for enhanced heat tolerance and reliability in warmer growing regions. The variety maintains the creamy, buttery characteristics prized in the parent Fordhook line while incorporating agronomic improvements sought by mid-to-late twentieth-century breeders. As a bush type, it reflects the enduring commercial preference for determinate growth habits that eliminate staking requirements, making it accessible to home gardeners and commercial growers alike.
Origin: Tropics
Advantages
- +Heat-tolerant variety performs reliably in warm growing climates.
- +Large, plump seeds deliver creamy, buttery flavor lima bean lovers desire.
- +Bush habit eliminates staking, reducing labor and garden space requirements.
- +Impressive yields of premium-quality beans justify garden space investment.
- +75-85 day maturity fits well within most growing seasons.
Considerations
- -Susceptible to multiple pests including Mexican bean beetle and pod borer.
- -Vulnerable to downy mildew, bacterial blight, and pod rot diseases.
- -Moderate difficulty requires attentive care and pest/disease management skills.
- -Heavy moisture from rain or overhead watering increases disease pressure risk.
Companion Plants
Marigolds and nasturtiums do the most work. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) put off compounds that deter Mexican bean beetle and aphids — both on the NC State Extension short list for lima bean pests. Nasturtiums pull aphids onto themselves and away from the beans; once a nasturtium is heavily colonized, you can cut the whole stem and drop it in a bucket rather than spraying. Summer savory has a long-standing reputation as a bean companion, and it earns a spot in the row for practical reasons: it deters bean beetles and stays compact enough at 12-18 inches that it won't shade out a bush variety. Carrots, radishes, and lettuce slot in between bean rows without any real conflict — shallow roots, low canopy, and they're pulling water from a different soil layer than the beans.
Onions are the main companion to avoid. Alliums release sulfur compounds that interfere with the Rhizobium bacteria living in bean root nodules — the bacteria responsible for the nitrogen fixation that makes a legume rotation worth doing. Fennel releases allelopathic root exudates that suppress most neighboring vegetables; give it a container or its own far corner. Sunflowers grow to 6 feet or more and will shade a bush lima that stays under 24 inches, cutting yield noticeably on the north side of the planting.
Plant Together
Marigold
Repels Mexican bean beetles, aphids, and nematodes while attracting beneficial insects
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, deters bean beetles
Carrots
Loosen soil with deep roots, don't compete for nutrients, beans fix nitrogen for carrots
Radishes
Break up compacted soil, mature quickly before beans need space, deter bean beetles
Lettuce
Provides living mulch, conserves soil moisture, harvested before beans reach full size
Spinach
Cool-season crop that uses different nutrients, provides ground cover early in season
Rosemary
Repels bean beetles, carrot flies, and cabbage moths with strong aromatic oils
Summer Savory
Repels bean beetles and aphids, traditionally grown with beans to improve flavor
Keep Apart
Onions
May inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation through allelopathic compounds
Sunflowers
Compete heavily for nutrients and water, create too much shade for lima beans
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants including beans through allelopathic effects
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346400)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Improved heat tolerance and disease resistance over older varieties
Common Pests
Mexican bean beetle, lima bean pod borer, aphids
Diseases
Downy mildew, bacterial blight, pod rot
Troubleshooting Fordhook 242 Lima Bush
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Leaves with irregular chunks missing, sometimes skeletonized, from mid-season onward
Likely Causes
- Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) — adults and larvae both feed on leaf tissue, larvae rasp the undersides first
- Bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata) — leaves round holes, active early in the season
What to Do
- 1.Flip leaves over and look for yellow egg clusters or spiny orange-yellow larvae — hand-pick and drop in soapy water
- 2.Spray spinosad or pyrethrin in the evening if populations are heavy (both are labeled for bean beetles)
- 3.Rotate this bed out of legumes for at least one season; adults overwinter near the old planting site
White-gray powdery coating on leaf undersides, often with leaf curl, appearing before pods fill out
Likely Causes
- Downy mildew (Peronospora phaseoli) — thrives in cool, humid nights above 60% relative humidity
- Overhead watering that keeps foliage wet overnight
What to Do
- 1.Switch to drip or soaker irrigation — keeping leaves dry cuts transmission significantly
- 2.Remove and bag affected leaves; don't compost them
- 3.Apply a copper-based fungicide at the first sign of symptoms, repeating every 7-10 days if humid weather continues
Water-soaked spots on leaves and pods that turn brown and papery, sometimes with a yellow halo
Likely Causes
- Bacterial blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola or Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli) — spreads fast in wet, warm conditions
- Working among the plants when foliage is wet, which moves bacteria from plant to plant on hands and tools
What to Do
- 1.Stay out of the bean rows when leaves are wet — this is one of the primary transmission routes for bacterial blight
- 2.Pull and trash (don't compost) badly infected plants
- 3.Next planting, start with certified disease-free seed and drop overhead irrigation entirely
Pods turning soft, dark, and mushy — especially lower pods near the soil or buried in dense foliage
Likely Causes
- Pod rot (Rhizoctonia solani or Botrytis cinerea) — both fungi spike in wet, poorly ventilated conditions
- Mulch piled directly against stems, keeping the crown consistently damp
What to Do
- 1.Leave a 2-inch gap between mulch and the base of each plant — mulch is useful for moisture retention but shouldn't collar the stem
- 2.Pick pods promptly once the 75-85 day window arrives; overripe pods left on the plant invite rot into the ones still sizing up
- 3.At season's end, pull all plant debris out of the bed rather than turning it in — Rhizoctonia overwinters in infected tissue
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.