🫘 Eastland Lima Bean

What it looks like

No verified photo of ‘Eastland’ itself was found, so the pictures below show the species — the same plant, photographed generally.

Why this variety

Eastland is the bush lima for gardeners who are impatient — and in lima terms, impatient means something, because limas are famously slow to get going. At 68 days, Eastland is ready about a week sooner than most classic bush limas, and the catalogs promise it just keeps on bearing, for yields second to none. That combination — early plus long-bearing — is rarer than it sounds: most early beans pay for their speed with a short harvest.

As a bush lima, Eastland needs no support and produces earlier than pole types, which makes it a good fit for raised beds and smaller plots. The beans are green, classic lima-type seeds, equally at home shelled fresh or left to dry. If you have ever grown a lima that took all summer to give you one polite handful, Eastland is the correction.

If you have not grown the species before, start with the Lima Bean growing guide for the general picture, then come back here for what makes this variety different.

How to grow

Direct-sow Eastland after soil has warmed thoroughly — limas germinate slowly in cool soil and rot in cold, wet soil, so patience at planting time pays. Sow about an inch deep, 4-6 inches apart in rows 24-36 inches apart, in full sun. In Florida, plant in spring once nights are reliably warm; the long season is your friend here, not your enemy.

Work worm castings into the bed at planting and mulch to hold moisture. Eastland fixes its own nitrogen through rhizobium nodules, so nitrogen fertilizer is unnecessary. Keep the bed weed-free early and give plants airflow — humid, crowded foliage is where lima leaf diseases start.

Water & feeding

About an inch a week, steady through flowering and pod-fill, watered at the base. Lima pods fill poorly when water is inconsistent, and Eastland’s long bearing habit means it needs that steadiness for weeks, not days. Mulch is essential in sandy soil: it holds moisture between waterings and keeps the root zone from swinging between baked and drowned.

Common problems

• Aphids and bean beetles — handpick, blast aphids with water, encourage beneficial insects.
• Leaf diseases in humid weather — space for airflow, water at the base, never work wet plants.
• Poor germination in cool soil — wait for warm soil; this is the number-one lima mistake.
• Short harvest — usually caused by stopping picking. Eastland keeps bearing only if you keep shelling; abandoned pods signal the plant to shut down.

Harvest

Pick Eastland pods when plump and green, about 68 days from sowing, shelling fresh beans for immediate cooking — always cook limas thoroughly, never eat them raw. Because Eastland keeps bearing, pick regularly and the plant keeps setting new pods. For dry beans, let pods dry fully on the plant before shelling, and dry seeds completely before sealing them in airtight jars.

Saving seeds

Eastland is an open-pollinated bush lima bean, so it comes true from seed — save seed from your best pods and let it dry fully before storing. The full method is in the Saving seeds section of the Lima Bean guide.