"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
Try putting black plastic over the garden row a month ahead of time
to warm the soil, and then plant two weeks earlier. I had the same
problem here in upstate NY (zone 5), so I'll be trying this trick
next year.

Good idea, since limas need 60 degree soil to germinate properly. Also
a shorter time to maturity variety is called for where the growing
season is short. That's why Fordhook is a problem.
Tom J


"donald girod" wrote in message
...
Every year we plant lima beans (which we love) and rarely do we get
more than a couple of meals worth. We have a short growing season
(most years June 1 - October 1, but this year 5/15-10/15)) and it
is often not too warm and pretty wet in the summer (but this year
hot and dry). Regardless, the limas do poorly. This year the plants
flourished and looked better than they ever have, often the seeds
don't even germinate, but they blossomed late and did not set
properly. Other beans in adjacent rows did great. We have always
planted Fordhook.

Does anybody have any advice? I would kill (well, no not really)
to be able to grow lima beans successfully.