Soybean, Edamame

This edible soybean, called Edamame in Japan and Mao Dou in China, is grown primarily for its young green-shelled beans, not for the matured soybean crops. These plants grow best in warm climates and are relatively sensitive to water content in soil. Edamame seeds can be easily rot and fail to germinate if overwatered or soaked, so its best to keep the soil only moist during germination. Edamame soybean plants produce clusters of pods with green beans. Pick the pods when they are plump but still green. All pods on the plants should be harvested at the same time. We recommend that gardeners start seedings at several different times to ensure a continuous harvest of Edamame beans.