Edamame soya beans
Fresh green soya beans harvested young for their plump pods.
Edamame soya beans seeds
£2.49 in the shop
Calendar
Sow
May–June after frost in warm soil
Plant out
Choose early varieties in the UK; pick pods while bright green and swollen.
Harvest
August–September
Conditions
Sun
Full sun to partial shade.
Water
Keep consistently moist, especially during flowering and pod development. Don't let the soil dry out.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0–7.0. Enrich with plenty of compost or well-rotted manure.
Spacing
20cm between plants, 45-60cm between rows. May need support for taller varieties.
Containers
Yes, larger dwarf varieties can be grown in deep pots (minimum 30cm) with good drainage.
Indoors
Can be sown indoors in modules in February for an earlier crop, then hardened off and planted out.
Care and harvest
Feeding
Generally not needed if soil is fertile. Over-fertilising with nitrogen can reduce pod set.
Pruning
Pinch out the growing tips (the 'tops') once the plants have set several trusses of pods. This helps deter black bean aphids and encourages pod filling.
Harvesting
Choose early varieties in the UK; pick pods while bright green and swollen.
Storage
Shell and store beans in the fridge for a few days. Blanch and freeze for up to a year.
Good companions: Potatoes, Spinach, Corn, Cabbage, Marigolds