Propagating Malabar spinach is easiest from cuttings:
- Take 5-6 inches long cutting from a plant, just below the node.
- Plant it directly where you want to grow, in well-draining soil.
- The roots will emerge in about 2 weeks and your new plant will start to grow.
How do you grow Malabar Spinach from seed?
To direct seed Malabar spinach in garden soil, plant the seeds one-quarter inch deep, 1 to 2 inches apart, leaving 3 feet between rows. The vines need support to grow upright, such as a trellis, chain-link fence, poles, or a teepee. If left to trail and sprawl on the ground, it can overgrow other crops.
Can Red Malabar spinach grow in Frost?
Red Malabar spinach plant cannot tolerate frost and its growth is very slow if temperatures are below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C.). Red Malabar climbing spinach really prefers heat and bright sun, much like me!
How do you take care of Malabar Spinach?
Malabar spinach also needs constant moisture to prevent the blossoming, which will turn the leaves bitter-ideally an area with a warm, rainy climate for optimal Malabar spinach care and growth. The vine should be trellised and two plants are sufficient for most families through the summer and fall growing season.
See more
Does Malabar spinach come back every year?
Malabar spinach grows vertically and needs a trellis to support its fast growth. In hot climates with frost-free winters, you can grow it as a perennial, otherwise it's an annual vegetable just like spinach.
How do you grow Malabar spinach step by step?
1:011:51How to start Malabar Spinach Seeds - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipEven the potting mix to cover up the season mix the spray water to wet the surface to help theMoreEven the potting mix to cover up the season mix the spray water to wet the surface to help the germinated seeds fully contact with more potting mix fill about a one inch of water insist.
Is Malabar spinach a creeper or climber?
Malabar spinach is a vigorous climbing plant that needs a trellis or other support. It will quickly overtake other plants.
Does Malabar spinach spread?
Because it spreads so easily and quickly, malabar spinach can become invasive if not managed properly. The best way to prevent spreading is to keep it in a pot and not in the ground! What is this? This plant is technically an annual but will live as a perennial if your weather is mild.
Is Malabar spinach easy to grow?
Malabar spinach is easily grown from the small rounded seeds. This warm season vegetable is very frost sensitive and should not be planted outdoors until a few weeks after all danger of frost has passed. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Seeds should germinate in 10 days to 3 weeks.
Should I prune Malabar spinach?
Malabar spinach can be pruned quite aggressively. In fact, if your plant is not pruned, it might quickly take over a growing area. Frequent pruning and harvesting of the green leaves and shoots is good for the plant and can promote more leafy and bushy growth.
Can I eat Malabar spinach raw?
The succulent leaves and stem tips are rich in vitamins A and C and are a good source of iron and calcium. They may be eaten raw in salads, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, or added to soups, stews, tofu dishes, and curries.
How do you make Malabar spinach bushy?
Cut leaves from the outside first, being sure to leave at least 6 leaves to allow the plant to grow. For longer vines, allow individual Malabar spinach vines to get longer before harvesting. To encourage branching and a bushier plant, cut back stems earlier.
Is Malabar spinach toxic to dogs?
The short answer is yes, Basella alba is safe for dogs to eat. Basella alba, commonly called Malabar spinach, is a good source of nutrients for your pup and can improve their overall health.
Can you eat the berries from Malabar spinach?
The leaves, the tender shoots, and the seed berries, all are edible. Some of the ways Malabar spinach can be used are very simple.
What can you not plant with Malabar spinach?
Malabar Spinach – This is a marvelous companion for Brassicas, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, and particularly strawberries. They will not do well if they are planted beside potatoes.
Can you eat Malabar spinach after it flowers?
Once spinach sends up flower stalks, its leaves become tasteless or bitter, making it inedible. You have a few options when spinach begins to bolt, such as pulling it up immediately and planting a warm-season crop in its place.
How do you grow spinach in water step by step?
To speed up the germination then soak the seeds overnight in water. Growing water spinach from cuttings is the easiest method to propagate it. Just cut several 30 to 40cm long cuttings from young growth and plant 15 cm deep in potting mix. Water spinach can be grown from seed, often soaked for 24 hours before sowing.
How do you grow spinach for beginners?
Quick Guide to Growing Spinach Plant spinach during the cool weather of spring and fall. Space spinach plants 12 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Start off the growing season right by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil.
How do you grow healthy Malabar spinach?
1:224:58Learn how to grow this heat loving spinach alternative. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo all you do to get a cutting is get one of the growing. Tips. You're going to sniff that off stripMoreSo all you do to get a cutting is get one of the growing. Tips. You're going to sniff that off strip the bottom leaves. Put that in water and let it root. And then just plant that and that will grow
How do you grow Malabar greens?
Malabar spinach will grow well in a variety of soil conditions but prefers a moist fertile soil with plenty of organic matter and a soil pH of between 6.5 and 6.8. Malabar spinach plants can be grown in part shade, which increases the leaf size, but it much prefers hot, humid and full sun exposures.
What is the plant that grows red malabar?
You are in for a real surprise when you grow Red Malabar spinach plant ( Basella alba ‘Rubra’). The vibrant reddish-purple stems are the real standouts, popping out of a sea of green leaves.
Is Malabar spinach a true heirloom?
An interesting tidbit of red-stem spinach info is that it is an heirloom that is not a true spinach. Unlike traditional spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ), this plant grows as a twining vine, adding even more beauty and interest to the garden as well as culinary possibilities.
Does Park Seed have malabar?
Park seed has malabar spinach seeds. I purchased them and planted with a 90% germination rate. Very beautiful, hardy plants!
How long does it take for Malabar spinach to grow?
In 3 to 4 days, Malabar spinach will start to emerge and produce leaves. You can supplement them with liquid fertilizer to help the seedlings grow better.
How to germinate seeds from store bought seeds?
On the other hand, if you’re using store-bought seeds, you can start germinating right away. Wrap the seeds in a damp paper towel and place it in a ziplock bag at a temperature between 75 to 85° F.
Can you use potting mix for Malabar spinach?
Malabar spinach likes moist and well-draining soil with an adequate amount of organic matter. You can use the potting mix you use for seed germination.
Is Malabar spinach good for you?
Malabar spinach is absolutely a must-have in your vegetable garden. It’s not only a stunning tropical vining plant, but also an excellent source of plant-based protein – perfect for any vegan and vegetarian homecooked recipes. It is also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Can you sow a seed in a seed tray?
Once you see small shoots coming out of the seed shell, you can now sow them in a seed tray.
When and How to Plant Malabar Spinach
This was my first year growing malabar spinach. I knew it was a warm-weather grower, but I decided to plant it early in the spring when I planted many of my other greens. I was hoping it would get a head start growing, and then just maintain through the summer. That was definitely a mistake, however.
Growing Tips
I have just a couple growing tips for getting the most out of this vine. It really doesn’t need much of your help! In our garden, it gets partial sun throughout the day, but is shaded during the hottest parts of the afternoon.
How to Use Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach doesn’t really taste like the “normal” spinach you typically find in the produce section. Some people think it has a bitter flavor, similar to swiss chard. For me, I don’t get that bitter flavor except for in the larger leaves. But it does have a somewhat slimy texture.
Time to give it a try!
And there you have it! My tips on planting, growing, and using malabar spinach. I have read that malabar spinach will grow as an annual through mild winters, so I plan to see just how long I can keep this vine growing Now into mid-October, with our highs in the 80s, it continues to send out new shoots, and the flowers are coming in strong!
What soil type does Malabar spinach grow in?
Malabar spinach is a tropical plant and it does well with soils that have a slightly acidic pH, such as sandy loam soil.
How long does it take for Malabar spinach to germinate?
When you sow your Malabar spinach, it can take 10 days to 3 weeks to germinate. From there, it will take 40 to 50 days to harvest, but you can continue harvesting as long it as heat or frost doesn’t kill it.
How to speed up germination of seeds?
To speed up germination, you can soak the seeds overnight or use the towel and baggy method. For more information on how to use a towel and baggy method, check out the video below by Garden Fundamentals. When it’s time to harvest the leaves, you can simply pick and use them in dishes such as salads, soups, and stews.
Can Malabar spinach grow in cold climates?
Malabar spinach is a sight to see in any garden, but it has a harder time growing in cold climates. Although it can regrow from seed as an annual, moving it indoors before the first frost can help you maintain its perennial status.
Can Malabar spinach be grown in a pot?
Although Malabar spinach can be grown as a bush, it’s naturally a climbing vine. So along with using a 5-gallon pot, they can benefit from using a trellis to climb.
How did Tyler learn about food?
He learned more about healthy food by completing a certification in health coaching, and from there decided to grow his own food and become more self-sufficient.
Can you grow Malabar spinach indoors?
While this is true if you live in a climate that gets frost or you live in an apartment (or just prefer indoor plants), then growing Malabar spinach indoors would likely be a better idea. The biggest factor to consider in moving Malabar spinach indoors is being able to provide it with full sun.
What is the best vegetable to eat in hot weather?
One of my favorite hot-weather vegetables is red-stemmed Malabar spinach, Basella alba 'Rubra'. Easy to grow, versatile in the kitchen, and delicious to eat, this vigorous vine is unrelated to true spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) but produces abundant large meaty leaves that are remarkably spinachlike in taste and form.
What to do with red stemmed malabar spinach?
We have grown the red-stemmed Malabar Spinach this year inspired by an Indian couple from our community garden. I planted all the seeds in the package because another time I tried to grow it hardly any came up. I watered these seeds nearly every day. Now in early September the plant is magnificent. We have eaten in salad, soup, stir fry. I have been cutting off the flowers, but will stop now as this plant cannot stand cold weather. You can eat the stems in stir fry and soup by slicing the stems in half and chopping them up into 1-2 inch segments. This is a plant that will feed you for sure.
How to grow Basella alba?
Basella alba prefers a humus-rich, sandy loam in full sun. Seeds can be sown in situ after all danger of frost has passed, or they can be started indoors eight weeks before the last frost date, hardened off outside, and transplanted one foot apart. Use any style of plant support you prefer: poles, teepees, chain-link fencing—I use a tall, recycled Eiffel Tower-esque metal étagère missing its glass shelves. Malabar spinach is amazingly insect and disease resistant, and that is saying a lot; down here in Puerto Rico, legions of caterpillars and grasshoppers can decimate an entire planting overnight, yet the spinach remains untouched!
How tall does Malabar spinach grow?
Red venation in the leaves adds another level of color contrast. Malabar spinach grows eight to ten feet tall and wide and produces inconspicuous white-tinged pink flowers in its leaf axils. Upon fertilization, the flowers develop into small, highly ornamental, single-seeded purple berries.
What is Malabar spinach?
Malabar spinach excels in warm, tropical areas, where it can easily grow a foot per day.
How to dry spinach seeds?
When rubbed against the sides of the strainer the fruits disintegrate, exposing the seeds. Rinse the seeds in clear water and dry the bottom of the strainer on a towel to remove as much water as possible. Place the seeds on a glass plate to dry.” Cornell’s gardening webpage on Malabar spinach also recommends that the dried seeds be scarified (the process of scraping the seed coat with a file or sandpaper) just before planting to facilitate germination.
Where does Basella alba come from?
Native to India and Indonesia (Malabar is a coastal region in southwestern India), the plant is used in traditional cuisines as far westward from its point of origin as Japan and eastward as Africa. It has also been introduced to South America and the Caribbean.
What is Malabar Spinach?
Malabar spinach ( Basella alba or Basella rubra) is not a true spinach , but rather a climbing vine in a class by itself. Other common names include Vine Spinach, Red Vine Spinach, Creeping Spinach, and Ceylon Spinach. Even though it’s not a true spinach, it has the same taste.
What kind of spinach is used in artichoke dip?
Tip: use Malabar spinach in our spinach artichoke dip recipe!
How high should I plant Malabar spinach?
I soak my seeds overnight to give them a head start. Plant in well-drained, rich soil in full sunlight. It prefers elevations of 1,500 ft or higher, but I grew it in Minnesota (728 ft) and it did fine.
What is the best way to use Malabar spinach?
My favorite way to use Malabar spinach is like many other greens I’ve cooked. It’s steamed, then braised with acid added at the end.
Why is my apple vine slimy?
The leaves and stem contain mucilage, so it can appear slimy when broken off the vine. This mucilage is a great source of soluble fiber, much like pectin in apples. The vine will grow rapidly in the heat of summer all the way through fall.
How high should I plant a sage tree in Minnesota?
It prefers elevations of 1,500 ft or higher, but I grew it in Minnesota (728 ft) and it did fine. Be sure to water it well and keep it moist. In dry climates, you may need to mist it occasionally as it prefers humidity. The pH of the soil should be slightly alkaline, or around 7-8.
Is Malabar spinach healthy?
Health Benefits. Malabar spinach is high in Vitamin A (100 grams contains roughly 8,000 units), Vitamin C, iron, and calcium. It has a high amount of protein for a plant and is also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Another good reason to eat Malabar spinach is that it has a good amount of antioxidants, ...
How to harvest malabar spinach?
There’s no trick to Malabar spinach harvesting. Just snip leaves and tender new stems 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) long with scissors or a knife. Malabar takes to aggressive pruning and it will not harm the plant in any way. In fact, picking large amounts of the plant will only signal it to become even bushier. If you don’t want or don’t have the room for a lengthy vine, just harvest aggressively.
What is the best soil for Malabar spinach?
Malabar spinach grows well in soils ranging in pH from 5.5-8.0 but, ideally, moist, well-draining soil high in organic matter is preferred. It thrives in full sun but will tolerate light shade.
How big does a Basella rubra vine get?
Both Basella rubra (red-stemmed Malabar) and its less colorful relative B. alba are herbaceous vines that can grow up to 35 feet (11 m .) in length in one season. Native to southeast Asia and sensitive to cold, both can be grown as an annual in temperate climates.
When to pick Malabar spinach?
You can continue to pick Malabar spinach as long as the plant is actively producing new shoots, all summer and into the fall, or until it begins to flower. Flowers make way for a profusion of dark purple berries.
Can you use Malabar leaves in place of spinach?
When warmer summer temperatures cause spinach to bolt, it’s time to replace it with the heat loving Malabar spinach. Although not technically a spinach, Malabar leaves can be used in place of spinach and make a lovely vining edible with bright fuchsia leaf stems and veins.
Can you use Malabar spinach as a food coloring?
They can be used as a food coloring for whip cream or yogurt. The leaves and shoots from Malabar spinach picking can be eaten fresh or cooked as spinach. The flavor is not as bitter as that of spinach, however, due to its lower levels of oxalic acid.
Which leaves are the most palatable?
Younger leaves and stems are the most palatable. The older foliage has more high fiber mucilage, the same thing that gives okra its slimy character.
