How to Germinate Soybeans Without Soil

Soybeans may seem like an exotic crop to most home gardeners, but they aren't much different from other types of beans. Soybeans don't transplant well, so if you want to grow them, the best approach is to plant them in the ground in late spring or early summer when the soil is warm. On the other hand, germinating soybean seeds in a plastic bag provides children with a firsthand glimpse of the process of germination and makes a good science project for home or classroom use. From start to finish, the process takes between one to two weeks, depending on growing conditions.

Zip-top quart or gallon size plastic bag
Paper towel
Stapler
Squirt bottle
4 soybean seeds
Tape

Instructions

- 1
  Open a zip-top bag and insert a paper towel in it so the towel lays flat. Staple the bag to keep the soybean seeds in place. Make a horizontal line of staples spaced 1/4-inch apart across the middle of the bag, and two vertical lines, spaced 2 inches apart and beginning 2 inches below the top of the bag.
- 2
  Fill the squirt bottle with water and squirt the paper towel until it is moist, but not soggy. Soybean seeds crack and rot if exposed to very wet conditions, but fail to germinate and eventually die if allowed to dry out.
- 3
  Place the seeds in the bag, spaced 1 inch apart, so they rest on the staples.
- 4
  Tape the plastic bag to a warm, sunny window. Soybeans germinate best when temperatures are between 55 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and a sunny window is a simple, convenient way to provide warmth. Move the bag from the window if the weather is excessively hot.
- 5
  Open the bag every two to three days and feel the paper towel. Spray the paper towel with the squirt bottle if it feels slightly dry. Do not allow it to completely dry out. You will not be able to open the bag completely because of the staples, but you can open it enough to moisten the paper towel with water. Do not remove the staples, but leave them in place.

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