Limas should be harvested before the seeds are fully developed and have begun to dry. The favorite bush-type variety of lima is Fordhook 242. Good baby lima varieties for Delaware are Bridgeton, M15, and 878. Pole beans are the most popular lima beans grown in Delaware. May. Vines are trained to either wires or poles from 6 to 9 feet in length.
Spider mites are the major pest of pole beans.
Some gardeners may want to try edible soybeans, which are nutritious because of their high protein content. They can be used as a fresh green bean, dried and roasted as a nut, or ground into flour. Plant soybeans in rows 2 to 3 feet apart, with plants spaced 2 to 3 inches apart. Bacterial blight appears as translucent water-soaked spots, which with age turn red around the rims. This fungal disease appears as circular, dark, sunken spots on pods and stems.