Soybeans

Soybeans: plant 10 cm (3.9 in) apart in the row and 45 cm (18 in) between rows, 4 per square. Good neighbours: Carrot, Sweet corn, Cucumber.

Key facts

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	2
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	20
Sowing depth	3 cm (1.2 in)
Soil temperature	from 10 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	7–12 days
Light while germinating	Light makes no difference
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 12 °C

Pricking out	sown where it grows
Takes transplanting	Badly, sow where it grows
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Ordinary garden soil, free draining, pH 6–7
In a pot	12 L, 30 cm (11.8 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; at flowering, while pods fill
Feeding	Little; at planting
Support and training	None needed

Days to first harvest	90–120 days, from sowing
Ready when	The pods are full but still green
Harvest window	All at once, 2–3 weeks
Sow again every	14 days
Typical yield	0.8–1.5 kg per m²
Botanical family	Fabaceae
Watch out for	Blackfly, slugs and snails

Open the free planner, drop Soybeans onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Sow outdoors	May
Harvest	Sep–Oct

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Fabaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.