Midori Giant Edamame Soybean Seeds

Bring the fresh taste of traditional Japanese edamame to your home garden with Mai’s Family Midori Giant Edamame Soybean Seeds.

Botanically known as Glycine max, Midori Giant is a vigorous, high-yielding bush soybean grown for its large green beans. The word “Midori” means “green” in Japanese, reflecting the attractive color of the beans when harvested at the proper edamame stage. The variety is also commonly called Midori Edamame, Midori Soybean, Green Soybean, Japanese Edamame, or Vegetable Soybean.

This heirloom, Non-GMO, open-pollinated annual matures in approximately 80 days under suitable conditions. Its upright bush growth works well in traditional garden rows, raised beds, greenhouses, and adequately sized containers.

Harvest the pods while they are still bright green and the developing beans have become plump enough to make the pods visibly bulge. Cook the beans before serving and remove them from the fibrous outer pods.

Why Grow Midori Giant Edamame?

Midori Giant combines traditional Japanese character with practical garden performance.

• Large, flavorful green soybeans
• High-yielding bush growth
• Approximately 80 days to maturity
• Heirloom and open-pollinated seed
• Non-GMO variety
• Suitable for raised beds and garden rows
• Can be grown in greenhouses and large containers
• Excellent for cooked snacks, salads, grain bowls, soups, and freezing
• Approximately 77 seeds per ounce
• Seeds only, not live plants or fresh edamame

The variety characteristics, maturity, growing formats, and approximate seed count are provided by True Leaf Market.

Product Details

The spacing, soil and watering recommendations follow University of Minnesota Extension’s guidance for bush beans and vegetable soybeans.

Flavor and Culinary Uses

Midori Giant is harvested while the beans are immature, green, tender, and plump. Cooked edamame has a satisfying texture and a rich vegetable-soybean flavor.

Cooked Midori Giant beans may be served:

• Warm with salt
• Chilled as a snack
• In salads
• In rice or grain bowls
• With noodles
• In soups
• In stir-fries
• As a vegetable side dish
• Blanched and frozen for later use

Edamame should be cooked before eating. The beans may be boiled or steamed inside the pods and shelled afterward. The hairy, fibrous outer pods are not normally eaten, and raw soybeans should not be consumed.

How to Grow Midori Giant Edamame from Seed

When to Plant

Plant Midori Giant after the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Bean seeds planted in cold, wet soil may rot instead of germinating, while young plants grow slowly during cool conditions. Wait until consistently warm weather arrives before sowing outdoors.

Midori Giant is an annual crop. Local frost dates, soil warmth, full sunlight, and having enough frost-free time for the approximately 80-day maturity period are more important than winter hardiness zones.

Direct Sowing

Direct sowing is the simplest method for growing Midori Giant.

1. Choose a sunny location.
2. Prepare loose, fertile, well-drained soil.
3. Sow seeds approximately 1 inch deep.
4. Firm the soil gently around each seed.
5. Keep the seedbed evenly moist.
6. Space seeds approximately 4 inches apart.
7. Leave approximately 24–36 inches between rows.
8. Avoid saturated soil and standing water.

University of Minnesota Extension recommends sowing bush beans approximately one inch deep, four inches apart, with rows two to three feet apart after the soil has warmed.

Successive Planting

Gardeners with a sufficiently long warm season may sow another small planting approximately every two weeks for a more extended harvest.

Stop making additional sowings early enough for the final planting to reach its approximately 80-day maturity before cold fall weather arrives. Extension guidance supports successive sowing of bush beans for continued summer and fall production.

Sunlight Requirements

Midori Giant performs best in full sun.

Choose a location receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Strong sunlight supports sturdy growth, flowering, pod formation, and proper bean development.

Avoid locations that remain heavily shaded by buildings, fences, trees, or taller crops.

Soil Requirements

Midori Giant grows best in soil that is:

• Fertile
• Loose and workable
• Slightly acidic to neutral
• Rich in organic matter
• Moisture-retentive
• Well drained

Beans generally perform well at a soil pH of approximately 6.0–7.0. Clay or silt loam can support good production when drainage is adequate. Well-rotted compost may be incorporated at planting to increase organic matter.

Avoid areas where water remains standing after rain. Saturated soil reduces oxygen around the roots and may contribute to poor establishment.

Watering

Provide consistent moisture throughout the growing season.

Approximately one inch of rainfall or irrigation per week is a useful general target. Plants in sandy soil or containers may require more frequent watering, while moisture-retentive soil may require less.

Steady moisture is especially important during:

• Flowering
• Pod formation
• Bean filling
• Hot or dry weather

Water deeply enough to moisten the root zone. Avoid repeatedly applying only a small amount of surface water.

Fertilizing

Midori Giant is a legume and can obtain nitrogen through a beneficial relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules.

Avoid routine heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer. University of Minnesota soybean research found that in-season nitrogen generally did not increase soybean yield and may sometimes reduce performance. Base fertilizer decisions on soil fertility rather than applying high-nitrogen products automatically.

Well-finished compost may be mixed into the soil before planting. Avoid placing concentrated fertilizer directly against soybean seeds because the seeds can be sensitive to salt injury.

Soybean Inoculant

Where soybeans have not recently grown, a compatible Rhizobium soybean inoculant may support root nodulation, plant growth, and yield.

Use only an inoculant labeled for soybeans or the appropriate bean group, and follow the product instructions carefully. Inoculant is optional and is not included with the seeds.

Growing Midori Giant in Containers

True Leaf Market identifies Midori Giant as suitable for container growing. Use a large container that provides adequate soil volume and drainage for a bush soybean crop.

For container growing:

• Select a deep, wide container
• Confirm that drainage holes remain open
• Use fertile, well-draining potting mix
• Place the container in full sun
• Avoid overcrowding
• Check soil moisture frequently
• Water thoroughly when needed
• Do not leave the container standing in water

Container soil can dry more quickly than in-ground soil, especially during warm or windy weather.

Greenhouse Growing

Midori Giant may also be grown in a greenhouse with sufficient light, airflow, drainage, and growing space. The supplier specifically lists the variety as suitable for greenhouse cultivation.

Avoid excessive humidity and overcrowding. Good airflow around the foliage can help reduce prolonged leaf moisture and plant stress.

Weed Control

Remove weeds while they are young.

Soybeans develop lateral roots close to the soil surface, so cultivate carefully and avoid deep hoeing. Shallow cultivation and organic mulch can reduce weeds while protecting the root system.

Mulching may also help conserve moisture and reduce soil splashing onto the foliage.

Pest and Wildlife Awareness

Possible problems include:

• Rabbits
• Woodchucks
• Cutworms
• Bean leaf beetles
• Aphids
• Spider mites
• Other leaf- or sap-feeding insects

University of Minnesota Extension notes that rabbits and woodchucks may feed on soybean plants. Cutworms can sever young seedlings, bean leaf beetles may damage leaves and pods, aphids can colonize plants, and spider mites may become troublesome during hot, dry weather.

Inspect plants regularly, particularly young seedlings and the undersides of leaves. Fencing may be useful where wildlife pressure is significant.

Harvesting Midori Giant Edamame

Midori Giant reaches maturity in approximately 80 days under suitable growing conditions.

Harvest while the pods are:

• Bright green
• Full sized
• Firm
• Plump
• Still tender
• Visibly bulging from the developing beans

Do not wait until the pods become yellow, brown, dry, or papery. The ideal edamame harvest window can be brief, so inspect plants frequently as maturity approaches.

University of Minnesota Extension recommends harvesting vegetable soybeans while the plump seeds are causing the pods to bulge but the pods remain green.

Preparing and Storing the Harvest

For best quality:

1. Harvest while pods are green and plump.
2. Refrigerate promptly.
3. Rinse the pods.
4. Boil, steam, or blanch before eating.
5. Shell the cooked beans from the pods.
6. Blanch before freezing for longer storage.
7. Store frozen beans or pods in suitable airtight packaging.

The fibrous outer pods are generally discarded after cooking.

Quick Growing Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Midori Giant a hybrid?

No. True Leaf Market identifies Midori Giant as an heirloom, Non-GMO, open-pollinated variety.

Is Midori Giant a bush or climbing soybean?

Midori Giant is classified as a bush soybean. It does not require the tall trellis normally used for pole beans.

How long does Midori Giant take to mature?

Approximately 80 days under suitable growing conditions. Weather, planting time, soil temperature, sunlight, and plant health can affect the actual harvest date.

Can Midori Giant grow in containers?

Yes. The supplier lists the variety as suitable for containers. Use a large container with full sun, sufficient soil volume, and good drainage.

Can it grow in a greenhouse?

Yes. True Leaf Market includes greenhouses among the suitable growing environments for this variety.

How do I know when edamame is ready?

Harvest when the pods are still green but visibly bulging with plump beans. Do not wait for the pods to dry.

Can the beans be eaten raw?

No. Soybeans should be cooked before eating.

Are the outer pods edible?

The hairy, fibrous pods are not normally eaten. Cook the pods and remove the beans before serving.

Is this a live plant?

No. This listing contains seeds only.

Important Product Notice

This listing contains seeds only.

The package does not include:

• Live plants
• Fresh edamame
• Mature soybean pods
• Soil
• Containers
• Fertilizer
• Soybean inoculant
• Gardening supplies

Seed quantity is based on the package option selected.

Germination and growing results may vary according to soil temperature, planting depth, moisture, drainage, sunlight, seed condition, insects, wildlife, and local weather.

Images of mature plants and pods illustrate the variety under favorable growing conditions and do not guarantee identical results in every garden.

Mai’s Family LLC
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