DIY Network

Planting Edamame Planting Edamame From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-208

Figure A

Edamame is sometimes called vegetable soybean. Although it's a soybean, it's different from field soybeans that are used to make tofu, soymilk, and other soy products. Instead of being harvested after the beans are dry, like field soybeans are, edamame is picked when the beans are young and tender (figure A). Edamame beans are eaten fresh, and they have a sweet, nutty flavor that makes them a great snack food.

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1. Unlike limas, which grow on both bushes and climbing vines, all edamame beans are bush beans (figure B). Most soybean bushes get only two or three feet tall, so they don't need staking. In fact, in Japanese the word edamame literally means "branched bean," referring to the plant's shrublike growth. As far as their culture goes, soybeans do best in full sun in well-drained soil that has plenty of organic matter.

2. To get the raised bed ready, start by testing the soil's pH level. Soybeans grow best in a slightly acidic soil that has a pH range of about 6.0 to 6.5 (figure C), so adjust your soil if necessary.

Figure B

Figure C

	Figure D
	Figure E

3. Work additional organic matter into the garden bed if necessary to improve the soil's texture (figure D), and fertilize with 05-10-10 fertilizer.

• The first number on the back of a fertilizer package refers to nitrogen; the second number, phosphorus; and the third, potassium. A 05-10-10 fertilizer, which is relatively low in nitrogen, is good for soybeans because they can pull nitrogen out of the air. Adding lots of extra nitrogen to the soil is just a waste when you're planting beans.

• The kind-of "magic" ingredient that helps beans pull nitrogen out of the air and transfer it to their roots is a special type of beneficial bacteria, which you can apply in a powdered form to the soybean seeds (figure E). Moisten the beans with a spritz of water, then sprinkle the powder over the top and stir to coat. The bacteria, which is sold at garden centers and through mail-order catalogs, is called soybean inoculant. It's similar to the inoculant that's used for other types of beans, such as limas and snap beans, but it's specific to soybeans.
  

  Figure F

• Edamame won't germinate well until the soil is warm enough. The minimum soil temperature is between 55 and 60 degrees, but you'll have the greatest success when temperatures are above 65.

4. Sow the seeds in rows (figure F), spacing them three inches apart in each row. Plant the seeds about an inch deep; water in. Until the seeds germinate, keep the soil moist but not soggy. Like other bean seeds, edamame seeds can easily rot if they are overwatered.

• If your garden soil has too much clay, it will crust over as it dries, making it hard for tender seedlings to emerge from the ground. In such as case, consider covering the seeds with an inch of sand, peat, vermiculite or finished compost instead of garden soil (figure G).
  

• One good a variety of edamame called Sayamusume (figure H). It's a top-rated edamame that produces three to four large green seeds per pod, and the pods have a sweet, buttery flavor. It grows well in most climates. But because there are many varieties of edamame adapted to different growing regions, it's a good idea to check with your local cooperative-extension agent when choosing your seed.

• Another variety, Black Pearl (figure I), produces small, quarter-inch beans that look like lentils. Dark-seed varieties like this are prized in Japan and are a traditional food for the Japanese New Year. Black Pearl is a great garden plant because it's especially vigorous and has high yields. The beans may be small in size, but they're big on flavor, and they're plentiful.

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

11. Since all the pods on an edamame shrub mature at the same time, in order to have fresh beans all season long, make successive sowings every two weeks.