THE CHINESE BEANS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 57

tofu. Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans; miso, the Japanese paste used for
seasoning, is also made from fermented soybeans.
Soybeans can be ground into soy flour (good for boosting the protein content of
baked goods) or pressed to make soy oil. This is one of the most common vegetable oils
among the dozens of ingredients listed on processed-food products. The roasted beans
are also used to make a caffeine-free beverage that smells like coffee, even if the taste
is hardly pure Colombian. As if all that weren't enough, manufacturers use soybeans
in the making of “thick shakes” and other “nondairy” foods, linoleum, shampoo, paint,
and many other items of our everyday life.
Appearance
Soybeans come in a fairly wide range of colors: black, green, gray, yellow, brown, and
white, some with eyes of a contrasting color, some solid. Regardless of the color of the
mature bean, the plants all look very similar, though there are some variations in the
size of the bush. Maturity dates, on the other hand, vary considerably.
The beans are about the size of limas, though not as flat, and grow three or four to
a pod. One seed catalog gave an estimate that one plant of a particular variety produces
about 50 beans, so that's a useful general guideline.
How to Grow
Getting started. Soybeans are a warm-weather crop, so wait to plant until the soil has
completely warmed up. Early planting is useless as the seeds will rot in the ground.
If the variety you want to grow requires a longer growing season than your area, start
them indoors. (See page 201.) Figure back from your earliest fall frost date to determine
when to start the seedlings; transplant into the garden when the ground is warm and all
danger of frost is past.
Soybeans grow best in fertile soil that is neutral to slightly acidic. Add limestone if
necessary to bring soil pH to about 6.5 (no higher). If liming is necessary, it should be
done at least two weeks before seeds are planted. Incorporate compost and a balanced
fertilizer about a week before seeding.
Planting. Sow seeds 1½ to 2 inches deep, 2 to 5 inches apart in rows and 24 to 30 inches
apart.
Growing needs. Soybeans are trouble-free and need almost no attention except for reg-
ular watering. Keep the soil on the moist side throughout the growing season. If you
mixed fertilizer into the soil before planting, no more should be necessary.