Growing Soybeans in Australia: The Complete Guide
Soybeans is an easy legume to grow, needing full sun with regular watering.
Soybeans is one of the easy additions to a home garden, and this article walks through everything behind our one-page printable guide in a bit more depth.
Nitrogen fixers
A vigorous, bushy summer legume that fixes a good amount of nitrogen and can be picked young as edamame or left to dry for storage beans.
Planting Soybeans
Method — direct sow once soil has warmed. Soil — well-drained, moderately fertile. Timing — sow in late spring once frost risk has passed.
Keeping It Growing Well
The key things to get right:
- Water regularly, especially through pod fill.
- Weed while young.
- Pick young pods for edamame, or leave to dry for storage beans.
- Leave roots in place after harvest for the nitrogen benefit.
What Can Go Wrong
A few things matter most here:
- Bean fly — can affect young seedlings; grow strongly to outpace damage.
- Powdery mildew — humid conditions; improve airflow.
- Pod borer — monitor developing pods.
- Bird and rodent damage to seed — protect at sowing.
Picking and Keeping Your Harvest
Signs — for edamame: pods plump but still green. For dry beans: pods brown and rattle. Method — pick pods by hand, or pull whole plants for dry beans. Curing — dry thoroughly if storing as dry beans. Storage — fresh edamame: fridge a few days. Dry beans: airtight, over a year.
That's the full picture behind soybeans. The printable A4 version of this guide — with the quick-reference gauges and diagram in one page — is available on the main guide page below.