Edamame 'Summer Shell' (Glycine max) – Soya Bean Vegetable Plants (12 Plants in 2 x 6-Cell Trays)

Grow your own edamame beans with these young 'Summer Shell' plants, a soya bean (Glycine max) grown for its plump, bright green pods. Picked while the beans inside are about the size of garden peas, they are tender and sweet, and a favourite in Japanese cooking.

The plants are bushy and upright, reaching around 60cm, and do not usually need support. Edamame are not French beans or runner beans, and they need warmth to crop well, so give them the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have. They suit raised beds, vegetable plots and large containers, and a long, warm summer gives the best harvest.

You receive 12 young plants, growing in 2 plastic 6-cell trays with one plant to a cell. Plant them out only once frost has passed and the weather has warmed, usually late May or early June in the UK, and acclimatise them gradually first. Water regularly, especially in dry spells and as the pods swell. As a legume, edamame makes its own nitrogen, so avoid nitrogen-rich feeds. Pick the pods while they are full and firm but still bright green.

Always cook edamame beans before eating, as raw soya beans contain natural toxins. Boil or steam the pods briefly and serve lightly salted as a snack or side dish.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Edamame Bean, Soya Bean, Green Soybean
• Botanical Name: Glycine max
• Growth Habit: Upright, bushy annual
• Perfect For: Raised beds, vegetable borders, large containers, kitchen gardens
• Foliage: Mid-green, slightly hairy leaves in threes
• Planting Position: Full sun, warm and sheltered from strong winds
• Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, fertile soil
• Hardiness: Not hardy. Plant out in late May or early June once temperatures reach about 15C
• Maintenance: Water regularly, no nitrogen-rich feeding needed
• Seasonal Interest: Harvest from August to October