Description

Malabar spinach is a perennial vine and grown as annual or biennial pot-herb. It prefers hot, humid climate and moist, fertile, well-drained soil to flourish. Stem cuttings about the length of 20 cm preferred over seeds for natural propagation, and faster growth. Being a vine, it requires trellising for its spread. It bears white or white-pink color tiny flowers depending upon the species and purple to black color berries.

Basella-alba features thick, fleshy, broad, oval to heart-shaped leaves all along its vine length. Basella rubra has pink or purplish stems and pink color veins running across its leaves. In either case, fleshy greens and terminal, tender 8-12 inches stem harvested about 35 to 45 days after planting (about 50 days after seedling).

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.

CULTURE:Malabar spinach does best in a slightly acidic, moist, fertile soil, though it can tolerate poor soil conditions. Stem tip cuttings may be rooted, overwintered inside, and transplanted out again the following year or kept as a houseplant. Provide trellis support. Sow indoors in flats 1/4" deep and 1/4" apart or into 50-cell or 72-cell flats, 3 seeds per cell, 5-6 weeks before transplanting to the garden. After all danger of frost has passed, transplant out to the garden 6" apart in rows 36" apart. After all danger of frost has passed, sow directly into the soil 1-2" apart, 1/4" deep, in rows 36" apart. Thin to 6" apart.