I think there are many good varieties of edamame. One I can recommend is Beer Friend. It grows large. I don't know about isolation distance but I think not much is required. Are you growing other varieties of soy beans? Soy beans are of the species Glycine max. They won't cross with common beans, yard longs, cowpeas or species of beans other than soy beans.

Edamame can be shelled and used similar to English peas. An Asian market I visited yesterday had two or three varieties of frozen shu mai made with edamame.

Jim

"I am thinking of trying my hands at growing Edamame soybeans next season. Any recommended varieties?"

Well, that depends.
- For size, "Gion" and "Sapporo Midori". "Sapporo Midori" is also very early, and on dwarf plants... but for these strengths, it sacrifices yield & flavor. "Gion", while later, has better flavor & a higher yield... it was my best performer this year.
- "Karikachi 3", "Tengamine", "Butterbean", and "Hatsutaka" (in that order) are my favorites for flavor, and all have a pretty good yield. "Karikachi 3" has a flavor reminiscent of sweet corn.
- "Oosodefuri" has the highest yield by far of any that I have grown, but smaller seed size.

What's interesting is that all of these except for "Gion" and "Butterbean" originated from Sakate Seed Company (Japan). An impressive breeding program; others of their introductions (such as "Shirofumi") are also commercially available.

Well, one recommendation, not for a variety, but for a cultural practice:

We've mentioned this before on threads about soybeans -- don't even bother planting them unless you've got some kind of pretty foolproof animal barrier in place, OR unless you'll be planting them in large quantities, like a 1/4 acre or so.

These things are about the biggest critter magnet I know of. EVERYTHING loves to eat them, and you won't be able to keep them going without protection, IMO. At least, that has been my experience, and I think others have said basically the same.

IF it weren't for the darned critters, these things would be pretty foolproof otherwise -- plant, water, maybe fertilize a bit, and harvest.

"Karikachi 3", "Tengamine", "Butterbean", and "Hatsutaka"

I will be adding and hopefully ordering some of those from SSE Yearbook. I will probably start with one or two at most. I have seen Beer Friend in many catalogs.

"don't even bother planting them unless you've got some kind of pretty foolproof animal barrier in place, OR unless you'll be planting them in large quantities, like a 1/4 acre or so."

Hopefully I do not have to worry about that being in the Iowa countryside. The field that is 300' away will be in soybeans next season most likely. Plenty of crops for the critters to eat other than my garden. I have been pretty lucky to this point. Worst pest have been my family. :)

What about isolation distance for seed saving, since I will be having a soybean field 300' away?

thank you everyone for your response,
Dean

"The field that is 300' away will be in soybeans next season most likely. Plenty of crops for the critters to eat other than my garden."

I wouldn't count on that too much. There is a field about 100 feet from my rural plot too, which is in soybeans every 3rd year, and this is the year. Before I got my fence up - which I did quickly - the deer did serious damage to several rows. Not too surprising, when you think about it. GM field soybeans, or gourmet edamame?

"What about isolation distance for seed saving, since I will be having a soybean field 300' away?"

That was one of the reasons that I began growing other colors of soybeans in my outer rows; they are my "canaries in the coal mine". Any crossing would show up the following year, and I would have to assume contamination of all of the yellow soybeans grown that year.

Fortunately, I have yet to see a cross. Soybeans do not appear to cross easily. The blossoms are tiny, and almost any other flower nearby would be more attractive to pollinators. I have used 15-20 feet of isolation between rows... but I line up adjacent rows at right angles, and have other flowering crops (such as squash & trellises of pole beans) between them. So far, so good.

I have used 15-20 feet of isolation between rows... but I line up adjacent rows at right angles, and have other flowering crops (such as squash & trellises of pole beans) between them. So far, so good.

Thank you for the information, pretty much sounds like all other legumes for isolation, a little distance and some attractive flowers between.

Now all I have to do is wait for the SSE Yearbook and pick my order. I do have to fit them into my 2011 garden plan though.

Once again I promised to wife I would reduce the size of my garden. Looks like fewer tomatoes ;)

Dean