When Do Edamame Mature? A Detailed Guide to Maturity Stages and Harvest Time

Edamame generally matures in summer. Among these, different sowing times mean different maturity times. Spring sowing is from late March to early April, maturing and harvested from June to July; summer sowing is from late April to June, maturing and harvested from July to September; autumn sowing is from July to August, maturing and harvested from September to October. Edamame is generally rushed to market early, that is, after entering the pod-filling stage, it can be harvested successively, and can fetch a good price.

I. Planting Methods

1. Double-shed extra-early cultivation: from late February to early March, raise seedlings in large sheds with added small arch sheds; transplant from late March to early April; cultivate with small arch sheds for warmth; harvest and bring to market from late May to early June.

2. Two-film direct seeding cultivation: level the bed surface in early to mid-March; lay plastic film flat over the bed surface; open holes at a density of 1 chi x 8 cun for direct seeding; build simple small arch sheds over each bed for warmth; harvest and bring to market in mid-June.

3. Open-field direct seeding cultivation: after harvesting winter and spring vegetables such as mustard tuber, leaf mustard, potherb mustard, and cabbage, carry out hole direct seeding in the open field in early to mid-April; harvest and bring to market from late June to early July. The method is simple, saves labor and cost, and is easy to cultivate, but guard against too large an area and a concentrated market period; how much to plant depends on market demand.

4. Summer-autumn off-season cultivation: direct seeding from late May to early June; fresh pod yield per mu can reach about 1000 kg; brought to market in the off-season in mid-August.

II. Nutritional Value of Edamame

1. The dietary fiber content of tender edamame is as high as 4.0%, while celery stalks, long considered the fiber champion, have a fiber content of only 1.2%. The fiber content of other high-fiber vegetables familiar to people is lower than that of edamame.

2. Edamame contains about 20% fat and about 40% protein, and is also rich in vitamins and highly nutritious. Besides being eaten directly, it can be made into paste, soy sauce, and various soy foods; the stems, leaves, soybean meal, and coarse soybean flour are used as fertilizer and excellent livestock feed.