Soya Beans

The Government has been encouraging the general population to eat more vegetables with its five a day slogan and for most people that means eating more, traditional “Greens” and fruit. Some people though, have opted to eat more beans in their diet such as baked beans which have always been a firm favourite with youngsters and have often had their virtues extolled, but Soya Beans have always been thought of as a thing that only Vegetarians eat. Added to the fact that we have always had to import any Soya products that we eat, they have not gained much favour.

Gardeners have tried growing Soya Beans at home, but in the past they were always considered to be a little too delicate to grow outdoors in the UK and could only be grown in greenhouses to reliably produce a crop, however, there are several new cultivars appearing on the market such as ‘Ustie’ and ‘Black Jet’ that are much hardier than older, traditional strains and more suitable for our climate.

Soya Beans have few pests and problems and as the flowers are self-pollinating a good crop is easy to produce. Young plants are of course tender, so seed should be sown in pots indoors in early Spring to give them a good start and then the seedlings transplanted outside after the frosts have finished, or otherwise, seed can be sown directly outside in the growing beds in a sunny position after the ground has warmed up and all risks of frosts is over.

The four foot high plants do need to be kept moist at all times, especially in warm spells, so mulching is advantageous to retain the moisture in the ground. As with many crops Autumn is harvesting time and the plants will drop their leaves when the beans are ready to be picked. One thing to remember is that Soya beans must be cooked before they are actually edible and can be digested, so they should not be eaten raw.

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