Equipment Needed for Growing Soybeans

Cultivating

• Like most plants, soybeans benefit from turning or tilling the soil before planting. In the small garden, a hay fork or pitchfork sufficiently loosens and aerates the soil while incorporating compost, manure or fertilizer. Use a motorized garden tiller for a large garden. In the field where hand-tilling is not practical, a tractor pulling a tiller attachment readies the soil for planting. However, according to the Oregon State University Extension Service, soybeans will grow in no-till conditions. Clear away competing grasses and weeds before planting.

Planting

• Plant soybean seeds 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart in rows spaced 15 to 30 inches apart in moist soil. In the home garden, use the handle of a garden trowel to make the 1-inch hole, the spade end for covering the hole after dropping in the seed and a hoe for gently tamping the surface soil. In the farm field, a seeder or planter attachment for the tractor deposits the seeds in the trench created during tilling. Use a seed drill for planting soybeans in a no-till field.

Irrigating

• The plants only need about 26 to 27 inches of water per year. For the small and large home garden, use a garden hose, timed sprinkler system or timed drip irrigation system. On the farm, use traveling sprinklers, drip irrigation, sub-irrigation or seepage irrigation to disperse water throughout the field. Soybeans have a deep root system that can grow 6 feet deep if necessary, making soybeans drought-tolerant. Maintain about 50 percent available water when irrigating. Also, sow seeds into moist soil rather than watering after planting for a higher germination rate.

Harvesting

• Harvest the home garden by hand when soybeans are fully grown and ripe but about two weeks before the plants fully mature. The beans should be firm but not hard and the pods should not have turned yellow yet. On the farm, use a green bean picker or a combine with the cylinder speed slowed down. Keep harvested pods cool and out of the sun to maintain their fresh taste. Blanch and freeze soybeans for long term storage. If storing as dry beans, allow the beans to mature completely on the bush.