Lima beans like warm soil and full sun so plant after all danger of frost has passed in your area and in a raised bed or in soil with good drainage. Just open the pods when they feel full and check the ripeness of the beans inside. Your personal preference will tell you if you like the beans more soft or hard and dry for winter storage. You can enjoy the young beans fresh and then let some ripen until fall when they can be dried for storage. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti