SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Surface to barely cover
Starting Indoors:
Nick seeds or soak overnight and sow indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Keep at 68°F.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow 2 weeks after last frost, when soil has warmed.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
After frost, when nighttime temperatures remain above 60°F.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Malabar spinach is a heat-loving ornamental edible planted out in early summer. Its succulent fresh young leaves have citrus and pepper notes used most often in Asian and Indian cuisines. Cooked, it resembles regular spinach, with a more pronounced slippery texture. The sinewy burgundy stems root along the ground if left to wander or twine up available supports. It requires frequent irrigation, under dry conditions or the short days of later summer, flowers will form, and it will end its edible stage and become merely a lovely vine.
Watering Details:
Requires consistent moisture to prevent flowering and maintain quality.
Soil pH:
Slightly acidic to neutral
Fertilizer:
Incorporate 2" of compost and a slow release balanced organic fertilizer.
Diseases & Pests:
No major pests or diseases.