Soil
Any average, well drained soil.
Position
Full sun.
Frost tolerant
No. Soybean is a warm-season crop to grow in summer.
Feeding
When using soybeans to improve very poor soil, mixing a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting will give better results.
Companions
Buckwheat.
Spacing
Single Plants: 5″ (15cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 5″ (15cm) with 5″ (15cm) row gap (minimum)
Sow and Plant
Plant seeds from late spring to early summer. Soybeans must have warm soil to germinate and grow. Poke holes into a cultivated bed or row to plant soybean seeds about 2 inches (5 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep. Thin to 6 inches (15 cm) apart in all directions.
Notes
Soybean cover crops are used primarily to add nitrogen to poor soil.
Harvesting
Chop down or pull up plants just as they begin to flower. Nitrogen nodules left behind in the soil add fertility.
Troubleshooting
Soybeans are very attractive to deer and Japanese beetles.
