Soya bean or soybean is a species of legume. It is native to Eastern Asia and is widely grown as an edible bean. However, it has a plethora of other uses. This plant is an ancient crop of the orient. But, in the last two decades, the Western world became to establish some serious farms for growing this plant that offers a wide array of benefits on a couple of levels. Even though it is not common for people to grow it in gardens, a lot of people are planting them for several reasons. Naturally, they are planting them in order to reap all of the health benefits that these crops are providing.
Since this plant is becoming more and more popular in the Western world, we’ve decided to compile an article on our own why you should plant soybeans in your own garden. If you are interested in how to grow this plant commercially, even though we believe that this is not the case for those who have gardens, you can find more here. Anyhow, take a look at our article where we will provide you with several reasons why you should plant soybeans in your garden. Without wasting your precious time any more, we are going to start now.
Easy to Grow
Soya bean plants are pretty easy for growing. The growth of soybeans can occur when the soil temperature is around 10 Celsius. However, the ideal temperature is 25 Celsius. So, you don’t need to rush to planting, because the cold soil will protect the seed from germinating, and it will make sure that you have a continuous harvest. Soya bean plants are about two feet tall. So, when you decide to plant one of these, you need to make sure that your garden has enough space for it. Planting it in a small garden is not a good idea. You should make rows that are 2 to 2 and a half apart in the garden. Also, it would be good to have 2-3 inches between the plants. You need to be patient because the maturation period for soya beans is much longer than with other types of crops and plants.
Green Manure
Experienced gardeners are aware that growing healthy plants massively depends on how healthy and fertile is the soil they’re growing it in. In order to increase the quality of the soil, gardeners are using crops that are not using for harvesting. Instead, it is used to improve the quality of the soil. These plants are increasing organic matter and soil fertility content. In case you are growing flowers or vegetables in your garden, it might be a good idea to plant a cover crop. You might ask, what is the connection with soybeans?
Well, soybeans are perfect green manure. By using its seeds and sowing them in the area you would like to improve will certainly improve it. You can cover them with soil or with almost decomposed compost or mulch. The only thing you need to pay attention too is that you need to water them properly and regularly. When it comes to how much you need to use it as green manure, you can use soybeans every 12 to 18 months if you have a garden that you regularly use for vegetable growing. Reaping all the benefits offered by the soya beans is going to be as easy as spreading them.
Food
Soya beans have been used for the human diet for as long as civilization can remember. Naturally, it has a long tradition in Orient, especially in China. However, about some 250 years ago, Westerners started to recognize it as one of the most nutritional crops. We are going to talk about these in greater detail later. Now, we are going to focus on a few dishes that you can make with the soya beans that you’ve grown in your garden.
Now, we are going to present you with some of the dishes that you can make.
- Thai soybean in cabbage cups
- Zucchini stuffed with soya beans
- Soya kebabs
- Soya haleem
- Soy bolognese
- Soya seekh
- Soya and oat pancakes
- Soya florentine
Health Benefits
There are numerous health benefits that soybeans offer us. They are coming from the vitamins, nutrients, and organic compounds. Moreover, it is important to point out a very large amount of protein and dietary fiber. According to research done by the USDA Food Data Central, soya beans consist of folate, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin. When it comes to minerals, in soybeans you can find manganese, copper, zinc, selenium, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc.
There are several health benefits of soya beans, and we are going to present them to you.
- Improves metabolic activity
- Anticancer potential
- Healthy weight management
- Relieves menopausal symptoms
- Boosts heart health
- Improves bone health
- Boosts digestion
- Improves circulation
- Prevents birth defects
- Relieves sleep disorders
- Management of diabetes
- Livestock and Pet Food
One of the ways soybeans are used throughout the world is as a livestock feed. Usually, it is used in the form of soybean meal. Let us give you one example when you compare soybeans to spring grass, you will see that soybeans are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. When it comes to the spring grass, it is rich in omega-3. The hulls, which are removed when the oil is extracted can be used as food for the livestock.
Moreover, you can use the whole soybean seed after the processing. Also, you will spend much more resources growing soybeans than any other possible plant that you can use for feeding the livestock. Moreover, if you are growing soybeans in your garden, you can use it for feeding your pets. This is one of the plants that are rich with omega acids, and you can be sure that it’s going to be beneficial for animals.
The Bottom Line
With the emerge of a huge soya use in the Western part of the world, the need for education in this field is essential. We’ve done our research, and now we are presenting you with 5 reasons you should plant it in your own garden. We sincerely believe that our article will have an influence on your decision to start planting soya beans.