You might have heard of soybeans or edamame before. If you are like me you might have wondered what the difference is between the two. It turns out they are the exact same plant, only edamame is the young harvested pod. Soybean refers to the mature pod that is usually dried before use.

To harvest edamame watch for the green pods with the bean shape inside visible. These have become more popular as they are praised for their protein content. The best part is these are not only good for your body, they are also good for your garden.

Because soybean plants are legumes (part of the pea and bean family), they can enable nitrogen in the soil to be made available to your plants. Either harvest your crop, or use it as a cover crop and till under.

When growing soybeans/edamame plants in a long, summer climate with plenty of water. Because they are frost-tender you will get poor growth when planted too soon. If you find yourself facing dropping temperatures, cover with a fabric tarp to increase your survival probability.

Make sure you are using a full sun area and well draining soil. To help your soil maintain moisture mulch around your roots. To help prevent wind damage I would also recommend you plant in an area with some protection from a structure or wind break.

If you live in an area prone to deer and Japanese Beetles make sure you take protective steps.