Content of the article:
The South American continent is the birthplace of many leguminous plants actively used by humans for food. Phaseolus lunatus or Lima beans, named after Lima, the capital of Peru, are distinguished from the family of related species by the appearance, size and taste of seeds. Large, resembling a mandarin lobule or a growing moon, the seeds brought by the Spanish conquistadors to the Old World turned out to be too thermophilic. Therefore, the first plantations of this type of beans appeared in the subtropical colonies of Europe on the African continent and in Asia.
Not surprisingly, lima beans in a short time has become one of the most popular and sought-after crops in the world, and especially in the United States. The seeds of this plant, often referred to as oil beans, are rich not only in proteins, dietary fiber and vitamins, but in fats, which in the pulp is from 1.5 to 2%.Gentle, creamy taste of dishes from dry and green seeds of lima beans makes the culture a valuable vegetable plant, interesting not only for large agricultural enterprises, but also for owners of country and household plots.
In Russia, there are no varieties of oil beans of their own selection or zoned for the current climatic conditions. But there are successful attempts to grow crops in the open field in the North Caucasus and the Kuban, in the Central Black Soil Region and other parts of the country.
Biological features of lima bean
Lima bean, as well as the more familiar varieties to the Russian gardener, is an annual vegetable crop that includes shrub and curly form:
- Span beans are compact and easy to care for. The beans ripen on it 65–80 days after the beginning of the growing season, but the yield of such plants is somewhat lower than on climbers.
- Tall, curly forms that are 12–15 meters in size require a more careful approach to fertilizing and watering. The moment when the lima beans are harvested, in this case comes in 80–90 days, but the number of seeds collected is several times higher than with the same number of bush plants.
Beans, unlike ordinary beans, this plant is quite wide, short and flat.
The length of the pod varies from 6 to 18 cm, and inside it forms only 2-4 seeds, which by the time of ripening can become white, grayish, cream or variegated. Another difference of oil beans is a thick layer of coarse fiber inside the valves, so green pods are not used for food, but green, immature seeds are one of the most useful and delicious foods.
With the common taste of existing varieties of lima beans, traditionally, there are two groups: with large seeds, 3-4 cm in size and smaller, nicknamed baby lima.
The value of the plant is not only in large seeds with an oily delicate taste and sweet aroma. Having grown lima beans in the beds of his plot, the gardener can use the green part of this plant as a green fertilizer. Formed on the roots of beans beans with nitrogen enrich the soil with this indispensable substance for plants.
How to grow beans of this type?
As the lima or moonlight bean comes from a subtropical region, the plant needs a temperature not lower than 18 ° C for comfortable growth, but on hot days, when the air warms up above 30 ° C, the formation of the ovary sharply decreases due to almost sterile pollen.
It is possible to create conditions acceptable for the species in open ground in regions with a milder warm climate, and in the middle lane you will have to use film greenhouses or greenhouses, especially at an early stage of plant development, when young roots and shoots are most susceptible to a decrease in temperature.
A lighted, protected from possible drafts site is chosen for landing. It is better if plants from the pumpkin or solanaceous family will be the forerunners of the Peruvian oil beans:
- Before growing the beans, beds are dug up in the fall and 30-50 g of superphosphate are added to the ground per square meter.
- If necessary, the soil is lime at the rate of 300–500 grams of product per square meter.
- In spring, the prepared ridges are loosened and fertilized with complex compounds at the rate of 30–40 g per square meter.
They sow lima beans when the ground is warm enough, that is, its temperature is not lower than 15–16 ° C, and there is no threat of frost. Most often this occurs in the last days of May:
- Given the rapid growth and size of the plants, the seeds are sown at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other with a square-nested scheme.
- If lima beans are planted in rows, they leave a gap of 30–45 cm between them, reducing the distance between plants to ten centimeters.
It is reasonable to place arcs above the landings and cover the crops with non-woven material until the air warms to 18–25 ° C.
Growing beans of this type differs little from the agrotechnics of legumes traditional for the Russian gardener. The main need of a plant during flowering, mass formation and ripening of beans is moisture. But at the same time for lima beans destructive accumulation and stagnation of water in the soil. The leafy roots of the plant quickly rot, and the beans die.
Strong supports or trellis are built for climbing varieties, otherwise powerful lashes on the ground will create excessive density that threatens the development of fungi and bacteria.
Further care for the lima bean consists in the shallow loosening of the soil, removal of weeds and fertilizing, designed to support the plants on not too rich in nutrition soils. Under the bushes per square meter contribute 10 grams of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate.
Pests and diseases that threaten oil beans
When compared with ordinary beans, the Peruvian species is more resistant to diseases, especially viral and bacterial infections. From the problems of growing beans it can be noted that in the second half of the summer on the plants, there are visible lesions with true and false, powdery mildew and leaf spot.
Not afraid of beans, oil beans, bean seed, but here aphids, thrips and spider mites can be seduced by powerful foliage and young shoots. Frequent guests on plants and caterpillars. Diseases include powdery mildew, fungal leaf spot and some viruses.
When to harvest beans and how to store them in the winter?
Depending on the type and form of the plant, the harvest of lima beans begins 18–14 weeks after germination. On bush plants ripening occurs a little earlier, and on tall climbing varieties, if the weather permits, can stretch for a month. Green seeds for dietary, protein-rich, vitamins and dietary fiber are harvested before their skin is hardened, and the flesh remains juicy. Fresh green seeds can be stored for more than 10–14 days in the refrigerator.
If you also want to pamper your close Peruvian beans in the winter, the succulent peeled seeds are blanched for about 2 minutes, cooled and dried, and then, laid out in bags or containers, frozen.
If desired, the harvested beans can be preserved. Green beans will be an excellent ingredient for winter salads, complemented by a side dish of meat dishes and fish.
Ripe dried seeds after peeling are poured into glass jars with tight-fitting lids. In this form, beans can be stored in the winter for up to 4–6 months, but only in a cool dark place where there is no danger of moisture and pests entering the container.
Since there are a lot of proteins, fats and starchy substances in seeds, if the storage rules are not followed in the winter, the beans can lose not only the taste, but also most of the nutrients.
