Steve Yoder
I'm Steve, a 30-something urban gardener fascinated by companion planting research. Growing up surrounded by greenery sparked my passion for gardening early on. I enjoy transforming my small backyard, experimenting with companion planting techniques and eco-friendly practices. Sustainability matters—I advocate for native plants and composting.
Table of Contents
A green soybean of East Asian roots that belongs to the legume family is called edamame. Green beans with a long growth season and a variety of uses are edamame beans. Edamame may be grown and harvested easily in your own vegetable garden. It also likes to grow with neighbors! This is why it is important to know which edamame companion plants are suitable.
Edamame in a Nutshell
Since edamame is a powerful natural insect deterrent1, it is frequently used in garden pest management. Aphids and other common plant pests are repelled by the pods. These also serve as a physical barrier to prevent insects from attacking the roots of your plants. Additionally, the presence of oxalic acid in edamame inhibits the growth of several plant pests.
One example is the rice weevil. Edamame has a bitter flavor. Therefore, weevils don’t like it and don’t eat it. Like that, weevils are kept away and their population from growing out of control is no more the case. Edamame not only shields plants from harm2. They also enable plants to grow stronger by giving them nutrients free from insect competition.
Edamame Companion Planting
Edamame enhances plant vigor by reducing common garden pests. At the same time, it boosts plant nutrition levels. Edamame is a wonderful companion plant for encouraging greater development in vegetable plants. This plant also helps other members of your garden to grow and produce more.
Edamame offers them energy by enlarging their stomata3 (pores) and shields them from dangerous insects. In addition to having more nutritional content, edamame’s stomal increase aids in boosting plant immunity. This makes them more disease resistant. It also improves plant output. Let’s have a look at the best edamame companion plants!
7 Best Edamame Companion Plants
Beans
Beans are the first member of the best edamame companion plants. They are low maintenance and require little water. So, your edamame plants do not have to share water and can absorb as much as it needs. Beans also repel aphids and deter mites, which protects both of your plants. You can use beans in any type of garden as they make great companions for many other plants.
For further information about beans companion plants: Beans Companion Plants – Which Ones Should be Chosen?
Peas
The next member of the best edamame companion plants are peas. They are good companions for edamame because they are a legume and attract beneficial insects. With the help of this, both plants grow better. Like beans, peas also repel aphids which is another good protection for your plants in the garden.
Lettuce
Lettuce is a great companion plant for edamame as well! It draws beneficial insects and keeps aphids away. It is a fantastic approach to get rid of undesirable weeds as well. Plant lettuce near your edamame to benefit for both plants!
Cucumbers
Since they grow well in chilly climates and don’t require a lot of sunlight, cucumbers make excellent edamame companion plants. They are also recognized as an aphid repellant. Fantastic to plant in your garden next to your edamame, isn’t it?
Cucumbers are also good companions for many other plants! Here is the full list: Cucumber Companion Plants – Great Idea?
Tomatoes
As tomatoes grow well in warm climates and don’t need a lot of sun, they make excellent edamame companion plants. They like to share all nutrients with their neighbors. They are effective for keeping ants and aphids away.
Corn
Corn is a fantastic companion plant too! It thrives in warm climates and doesn’t need a lot of sunlight. As the other companion plants above, it deters ants and beetles.
Squash
The last member of the best edamame companion plants in our list is squash. Squash is a wonderful edamame companion plant since it thrives in warm climates and doesn’t need a lot of sunshine. Slugs are deterred by it as well.
So many good characteristics makes squash also a great companion plant for other members in your garden! Check out the best squash companion plants: Squash Companion Plants – 10 Best and 4 Bad
References
- Miles, C. A., Daniels, C. H., Zenz, L., & King, J. (2018). Edamame.
- Lord, N., Kuhar, T., Rideout, S., Sutton, K., Alford, A., Li, X., … & Zhang, B. (2021). Combining agronomic and pest studies to identify vegetable soybean genotypes suitable for commercial edamame production in the mid-Atlantic US.
- Ribera, L. M., Aires, E. S., Neves, C. S., Fernandes, G. D. C., Bonfim, F. P. G., Rockenbach, R. I., … & Ono, E. O. (2022). Assessment of the Physiological Response and Productive Performance of Vegetable vs. Conventional Soybean Cultivars for Edamame Production. Agronomy, 12(6), 1478.
