How to grow edamame.
Planting Depth:
1 inch
Time of Planting:
Allow soils to thoroughly warm up to 55-60 degrees F prior to planting. Edamame seed do not germinate in cool soils so wait to plant for best success.
DO NOT PRESOAK EDAMAME SEED.
Seed Spacing:
3" apart within rows. A 100-seed packet plants about 25 feet of row whereas one pound of seed plants about 300 feet of row. If planting an acre of edamame, plant 60 lbs of our varieties. Desired plant population per acre is 80,000 plants for good plant structure. Reducing plant population will lead to more plant branching. If your weed management is good, a lower plant population below the recommended is perfectly fine. However, increasing plant population too much leads to no branching, taller plants, delayed flowering and reduced pod set. BEWARE!
Inoculation:
INOCULATE IF NEW TO SOY. If planting edamame soybeans in land not previously planted to soybeans, inoculate your soybeans to ensure that they can produce their own nitrogen. We sell small packets of soybean inoculant for you to coat the seed prior to planting.
Chemicals:
The chemicals approved for weed and pest control for edamame soybeans are very limited because virtually no residue testing has been conducted on edamame. We recommend cultural and mechanical practices or organic production of edamame to control weeds and pests. Consult your local agricultural agent for latest changes to approved chemicals to use when growing edamame soybeans.
Fertility:
40 units of N. Soybeans are legumes and make the rest of the nitrogen they need. Apply P and K according to soil test results.
Row Spacing:
20"-36" apart. Edamame seed do not grow well when drilled in ultra narrow rows (3-10" rows).
Yield:
Yield varies with your planting conditions and weather during the season. However, an average yield is .25 lb of pods per plant. If you are growing larger quantities, customers average 2.5 - 3.0 tons of edamame pods per acre. The yield of shelled edamame is about half the volume of edamame in the pod.
Harvesting Tips
Extending Your Harvest
Extend your edamame harvest by planting varieties of different maturities or by planting the same variety in weekly successions for 4-6 weeks. Consult our MAP to see what varieties are appropriate for your area.
When to Harvest
Harvest edamame when the beans in the pod are 80-90% expanded or when the leaves have changed from bright green to a slight yellowish-green color. Handpick pods with at least two beans per pod and select pods which are only bright green in color. Avoid picking any yellowish or blemished pods. Wash pods to remove any soil. Pods can be refrigerated for up to a week or blanch them for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and freeze them loose in zip-locked bags for later eating throughout the winter.
Special Selling Tips
When selling at a farmer's market, small grocery, or if you have a CSA, cook some edamame for your customers to taste. Boil or steam them in hot water until pods are easy to pop open (about 4-5 minutes), then sprinkle the pods generously with salt, seasoned salt, or blackening spices so that when you pop the beans out into your mouth, you'll taste the salt or spices too. Remember: eat the beans, not the pods!
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Sell edamame either (1) loose by the pound in the pod, (2) shelled out of the pod to use in stir fries or pasta dishes, or (3) try this traditional Japanese method. Cut several plants off at the soil surface, remove the leaves, but leave the pods on the plant. Bundle 3-4 plants together for an edible bouquet! What a wonderful, healthy, and unique housewarming gift.