In my experience, gardening goes beyond just planting seeds—it involves exploring how different plants can support each other. I often use companion planting to make sure my garden is as healthy and productive as it can be.
Selecting the best Lima Beans companion plants is key to a productive garden. Knowing what to plant next to Lima Beans and what to plant between Lima Beans can protect your crops from pests and diseases. Consider plants that protect Lima Beans to maintain a healthy and thriving garden.
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting involves strategically positioning certain plants in proximity to enhance each other’s growth, health, and outputnwhile simultaneously reducing pest issues in the garden.
Best Companion Plants For Lima Beans
If you’re curious about how this can work in your own garden, I’m here to help! Just shoot me your questions, and I’ll share all the insights and tips I’ve picked up along the way. Let’s make your garden a thriving ecosystem together!
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Corn
I’ve found that planting lima beans next to corn improves the soil by fixing nitrogen, which is beneficial for the corn’s growth. I’ve also noticed that the tall stalks of the corn provide a natural trellis for the lima beans to climb, saving space in the garden. In my experience, the two plants also seem to repel pests when grown together, leading to healthier crops overall.
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Squash
Over the years, I have found that planting Lima Beans with Squash has been a good pairing. I have noticed that the Lima Beans help to deter pests that often attack Squash plants, such as aphids and squash bugs. Additionally, the Lima Beans provide a natural source of nitrogen to the soil, which helps to improve the overall health and growth of the Squash plants. Lastly, the sprawling nature of the Squash vines provides shade and protection for the Lima Beans, allowing them to thrive in the hot summer months. -
Cucumber
I first learned about using lima beans as a companion plant for cucumbers from an old farmer. I have personally experienced how lima beans help support the growth of cucumbers by fixing nitrogen in the soil, providing essential nutrients for the cucumber plants.
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Pole beans
Over time I figured out through trial and error that planting pole beans alongside lima beans is a great idea. I noticed that the pole beans provided natural support for the lima beans, allowing them to grow upwards without the need for additional stakes or trellises. Additionally, the pole beans helped create shade for the lima beans, keeping them cool during hot summer days. Lastly, I found that the pole beans attracted beneficial insects, such as bees and ladybugs, which helped pollinate the lima beans and control pests naturally.
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Carrots
This is a pretty common pairing! I’ve found that planting Lima Beans near Carrots has been a great companion for my garden. The Lima Beans help to fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits the Carrots by providing them with a nutrient boost. Additionally, the tall and climbing nature of the Lima Beans provides shade for the Carrots, helping to keep them cool and protected from the hot sun.
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Beets
This one comes from the book “Carrots love Tomatoes.” I have personally found that planting Lima Beans alongside Beets has been a great companion planting combination. The Lima Beans help to fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits the Beets by providing them with a nutrient-rich environment. Additionally, the tall and climbing nature of the Lima Beans provides shade for the Beets, helping to keep them cool and protected from excessive sunlight.
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Radishes
This was a tip from a reader that I found really helpful – planting radishes by my lima beans helps to repel pests that can damage the beans. I’ve noticed that the strong scent of the radishes seems to deter insects and protect my lima beans from harm. Plus, the radishes grow quickly and can be harvested before the lima beans need the extra space to spread out.
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Marigolds
I’ve found that planting marigolds close to lima beans is a good call. The marigolds act as natural pest repellents, keeping harmful insects away from my lima bean plants. Additionally, the marigolds attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, which help to control pests and promote a healthy growing environment for my lima beans. -
Nasturtiums
Another tip is to plant Nasturtiums near my Lima Beans because they help repel pests like aphids and whiteflies. I’ve found that Nasturtiums also attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, which help keep my Lima Beans healthy.
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Sunflowers
I’ve found that planting sunflowers next to my lima beans has been helpful in my garden. The tall sunflowers provide shade for the lima beans during the hottest parts of the day, helping to prevent them from wilting. Additionally, the sunflowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which in turn helps to increase the yield of my lima bean harvest. Lastly, the sunflowers act as a natural trellis for the lima beans to climb, saving me the trouble of having to set up additional support structures.
What Not To Plant With Lima Beans
Just like there are plants that play well together, there are others that don’t get along. Here are some plants that you’re going to want to avoid putting in close proximity to each other. Most of these aren’t the end of the world if it happens, we only have so much garden space after all, but where it makes sense, keep these in mind.
NOTE: You’ll notice some of these plants might also be a companion plant listed above. With each pairing, there are benefits and drawbacks, so I’ve listed drawbacks here if any exist.
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Fennel
I learned this the hard way, but planting Lima Beans next to Fennel can negatively impact the growth of both plants. The strong scent of Fennel can attract pests that can damage the Lima Beans, while the Lima Beans can release natural chemicals that inhibit the growth of Fennel.
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Onions
This one came from my neighbor and I’ve noticed that planting lima beans near onions can actually stunt the growth of the onions. I’ve seen it happen in my own garden, so I try to keep these two plants separate now.
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Garlic
This also came from Carrots Love Tomatoes. Lima Beans negatively impact Garlic because they release a substance that inhibits the growth of Garlic.
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Sunflowers
Another one I’ve heard is that lima beans negatively impact Sunflowers. This is because lime beans release natural chemicals into the soil that can inhibit sunflower growth.
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Potatoes
I’ve heard mixed things on this but lima beans can negatively impact potatoes by competing for nutrients in the soil and potentially attracting pests that can harm the potato plants. This competition for resources can lead to stunted growth and decreased yield for the potato plants.
What Should You Plant Near Lima Beans
In addition to the list below, there are some common plants you likely already have in your garden that I thought you might want to know. These veggies make up much of my garden, so here is what you need to know about companion planting them with Lima Beans.
Lettuce and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Yes, lima beans are a good companion plant for lettuce in a vegetable garden. They help to fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit the growth of lettuce. Additionally, their tall, bushy growth can provide shade and protection for the lettuce plants.
Carrots and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are a good companion plant for carrots in a vegetable garden. They help to fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits the Carrots by providing them with a nutrient boost.
Tomatoes and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are a good companion plant for tomatoes in a vegetable garden. They help improve soil fertility by fixing nitrogen, which benefits the tomatoes. Additionally, the tall vines of lima beans can provide shade for the tomato plants, helping to protect them from excessive heat.
Cucumbers and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are a good companion plant for cucumbers in a vegetable garden. Lima beans help support the growth of cucumbers by fixing nitrogen in the soil, providing essential nutrients for the cucumber plants.
Zucchini and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are not a good companion plant for zucchini in a vegetable garden. They both have similar nutrient requirements and may compete for resources, leading to stunted growth. Additionally, zucchini is susceptible to powdery mildew, and planting lima beans nearby can create a dense environment that promotes the spread of this fungal disease.
Peppers and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Yes, lima beans are a good companion plant for peppers in a vegetable garden. They help to fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit the peppers, and their tall, bushy growth can provide some shade and protection for the pepper plants. Overall, they can help improve the overall health and productivity of the vegetable garden.
Peas and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are a good companion plant for peas in a vegetable garden because they both belong to the legume family and can benefit from each other’s nitrogen-fixing abilities. This helps improve soil fertility and overall plant growth.
Radishes and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are a good companion plant for radishes in a vegetable garden. The strong scent of the radishes seems to deter insects and protect lima beans. Plus, the radishes grow quickly and can be harvested before the lima beans need the extra space to spread out.
Squash and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Yes, lima beans are a good companion plant for summer squash in a vegetable garden. They help deter pests that often attack Squash plants, such as aphids and squash bugs. Additionally, lima beans provide a natural source of nitrogen to the soil, which helps to improve the overall health and growth of the Squash plants.
Onions and Lima Beans Companion Planting
Lima beans are not a good companion plant for onions in a vegetable garden. They belong to the same family as onions, which means they compete for similar nutrients and can stunt each other’s growth. It’s best to avoid planting them together to ensure the optimal growth of both crops.
Tips For Companion Planting With Lima Beans
- Incorporating flowering plants among your lima beans can provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season, keeping pollinators in your garden longer.
- Plant a few Lima Beans each week of your planting season so you have some ready to harvest each week instead of all at once. This will make it so you can eat what is ready without going to waste or having too many at once.
- Plan your garden so that different plants bloom consecutively alongside Lima Beans, providing continuous attraction for beneficial insects and maintaining a balanced ecosystem throughout the growing season.
- When companion planting Lima Beans, pair tall plants that provide shade with lower-growing, shade-tolerant plants to make the most efficient use of space and light.
- Plant legumes such as peas and beans near plants that require a lot of nitrogen. Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, enriching it for plants that are heavy feeders.
Your Turn!
- What have you learned about companion planting for Lima Beans?
By Ryan Mitchell on June 25, 2024 /
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