Fresh soybeans, boiled in water, and dashed with salt are a wonderful nutritious treat. Soybeans are only one amino acid short of a full protein, and are loaded with calcium. Gone are the days of being classified as "Green Manure" or "Animal Feed" the soybean is enjoying its popularity in vegetable gardens, on dinner tables, and served as a snack with a cold beer, earning its nickname - beer friend. Easy to grow they are a fun addition to the vegetable garden.

Soybeans are bush beans and are grown just like other bush varieties you may have grown in the past. Sow your first batch of seed directly into the soil a week after the last frost. Sow seeds, in organically enriched light soil, to a depth of 1.5 inches. Plant your seeds 6" apart in rows spaced 2 feet. Being a bush bean they require no staking, unless you are growing in a windy location. Within a week you should see signs of germination, for continuous harvest re sow bi weekly. Be sure to water beans regularly during growth, as even a few days drying out will reduce the harvest. Feed regularly using your favourite organic vegetable food, beans do not need extra nitrogen so be careful not to give too much or you will delay fruit development. Soybeans will also benefit from a small application of potassium in the summer, such as a light dressing of granular or liquid bone meal.

Like mung beans, soybeans are fairly resistant to pests. Keep an eye out for aphids, cabbage loppers, and leaf miners. To avoid disease be sure to plant your crops in a new location each year, purchase disease resistant varieties, and be sure to stay out of the garden when it is wet, as disease spreads when it is wet in a hurry. If you notice disease, such as anthracnose, blight, or rust remove infected plants and disinfect all tools that may be contaminated.

Depending on variety soybeans take between 75 and 100 days to harvest. When planting your beans this summer try something healthy, delicious and easy to grow, think soybeans, edamame or bear friend and enjoy the fresh taste they add to the table.

Varieties to consider

Soybean - Edamame 75 days. 2.5 feet bush bean. Plump pods contain 3-4 tender beans each. Harvest when full and still green. High in phtoestrogens and isoflavones.

Soybean - Early Hakucho - 114 days. Plant when the soil is quite warm, early June. Have a smooth buttery taste, kids love this one. Good for freezing. purchase here, link to seeds in mall where these will be posted for 4.70

Bean Diseases To watch for

Anthracnose: Causes black, egg shaped, sudden cankers on pods, stems, and seeds. Leafs will have black veins.

Bacterial Blight: A large brown blotch on leaves, the loss of foliage and finally plant death.

Rust: Reddish brown spots on leaves, stems and pods.

* Be sure not to re sow in this area for five years after removing infected plants.