Vegetable · Legume
Edamame
Glycine maxA warmth-loving soybean grown for its plump, sweet pods rather than dried beans. It needs a full run of warm weather to fill out properly before harvest. The one rule: pick pods while still bright green — they turn starchy fast once mature.
Sow depth
1 in
Spacing
4 in · rows 18 in
Sun
Full sun
Germination
7–14 days
Time to harvest
75–85 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow edamame
- Sow from about 2 weeks after your last expected frost until about 16 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Wait for warm soil — edamame germinates poorly in cold, wet ground.Direct sow; like most beans, it resents root disturbance.An inoculant on the seed can boost nitrogen-fixing in new beds.
Water evenly through flowering and pod fill for the best yield.Weed while plants are young; established rows shade out most weeds.Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which push leaves at the expense of pods.
Harvest while pods are plump and still bright green, before yellowing.Pick whole plants at once for the most even batch of pods.Blanch or cook promptly — sugars convert to starch quickly after picking.
Companion plants
As a nitrogen-fixer, edamame feeds hungry neighbors like sweetcorn planted in the same bed.
Watch out for
Bean leaf beetle — Chews ragged holes in leaves and can scar pods. Cover young plants with mesh until they are well established.Pod shatter — Happens if pods are left too long and dry out. Harvest promptly once pods reach full size and color.