lagniappe wrote:
Are the large white dried lima beans, the sort you
buy in the grocery store for soaking, cooking, and
eating, fertile?

I think ALL of the beans of the sort you're talking
about are fertile. I have had lots of them sprout.

When I cook with dried beans, I do the usual picking
and sorting, to get rid of pebbles and also most of the
split beans. Even the split ones have germinated and
begun to grow in my compost pile. In fact, I have some
going right now that I need to pull out.

Or do they do something to them
to keep them from being viable? I have a particular
brand that I buy in 1-lb bags for cooking and eating,
that I particularly like. Can I plant these and
expect to get enough to germinate that I can grow
them and then have a source of fresh seeds? Or do
they irradiate or heat them or something else to make
them sterile?

Assuming these very-dried beans are viable, what is
the best way to proceed? Just bury them, or soak
first?

Bury a couple of them. I just about want to guarantee
they'll sprout. What I can't promise is that you'll
get the same quality of bean you get in the bag.

Good luck with it! Give it a try, and let us know how
it works.