Soya Beans

[Bluebell]

Hi
Has anyone tried growing fresh edamame (edible soya) beans. I would like to try growing my own but don't know where to get the seeds. Can anyone advise ?
Thanks
Bluebell

[mauzi]

We have grown soya bean and they grew easily but do require quite a long season to maturity so timing is important. We are in Australia but live in a cold mountainous area with short season so we just made it by planting as soon as the frosts were over and harvesting just before the new season frosts. Anyway, they were good.

[multiveg]

We tried. Had flowers and a couple of pods but thats about it.

[marshlander]

These from Thompson and Morgan clain they're suited to the British climate and 100% GM free. They're on sale half price 84p for 400 seeds - sounds like a bargain! It's not too late to sow - may/early June according to the blurb.

http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/ ... /1?SA=1505

I've noticed soya beans frozen to eat like broad beans - anyone tasted them?

[Andy Hamilton]

I have bought three packets of them this year, the Thomson and Morgan ones. Hopefully to make milk with and also will be saving the seeds. So if it works and you are reading this in 2009 I might have some spares.

[Sky]

I've been looking for soya beans for ages here and went to the Chinese supermarket in Ch.ch. where the lady there said that they weren't allowed to be imported into New Zealand

I can't believe it , can anyone tell me if it's true!

No wonder I haven't been able to find them if it is.

[marshlander]

I have bought three packets of them this year, the Thomson and Morgan ones. Hopefully to make milk with and also will be saving the seeds. So if it works and you are reading this in 2009 I might have some spares.

1200 plants! That's a lot!

[JustinFun]

I have bought three packets of them this year, the Thomson and Morgan ones. Hopefully to make milk with and also will be saving the seeds. So if it works and you are reading this in 2009 I might have some spares.

Us too! Well, only one packet.

We've sown some inside in cardboard tubes and some direct in the ground in two beds. Planted a week and a day ago and almost all have germinated - the indoor ones are about 4 inches high! So, no problems so far although from the posts above it looks like getting them to actually fruit (bean?) is the difficult part.

We're very excited anyway.

[Bluebell]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I will get some seeds from Thompson and Morgan as soon as possible and give them a go. Incidentally, I do buy the frozen ones which I love but that is why I want to try growing the fresh ones.
Bluebell

[marshlander]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I will get some seeds from Thompson and Morgan as soon as possible and give them a go. Incidentally, I do buy the frozen ones which I love but that is why I want to try growing the fresh ones.
Bluebell

Are they like broad beans in flavour?

[adekun]

The first bean has broken the surface.

[Bluebell]

Are they like broad beans in flavour?

Its hard to describe. I am not too keen on broad beans so guess they can't be too much like them. They are smaller and nuttier in flavour - a bit like a cross between a pea and a butter bean really. I suppose they wont be to everyone's taste but I love them.
Bluebell

[Bluebell]

The first bean has broken the surface.

Hi Adekun
Where did you buy these from ??
Thanks
Bluebell

[JustinFun]

So, how are everyones soy bean plants doing?

Ours germinated really well. The ones sown outside are about 4cm high (growing a lot more slowly than the runners and french beans sown at the same time), the ones sown indoors are about 20cm. Some of the indoor crop have been planted out and seem happy enough with it, others I'm keeping to cover other failures.

I don't know if this is useful information or not, but thanks to the cat helping herself to a midnight snack on one of our seedlings I can confidently inform you that pinching out (or biting off) the growing tips will result in the plant bushing out from its first set of leaves - I'll be watching that plant this year to see if it's a worthwhile tactic.

[ina]

I don't know if this is useful information or not, but thanks to the cat helping herself to a midnight snack on one of our seedlings

My first cat used to "pick" herself a green bean now and then when they were in season...