Vining spinach, often called Malabar spinach, is not really spinach. It is a member of the Basellaceae family of vegetables, but tastes similar to traditional spinach. Vining spinach thrives in warm climates and can be grown successfully in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 7 or higher. Once nighttime temperatures stay above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, you can plant vining spinach seeds outdoors. The vine grows quickly and provides a tasty and tender leafy green that you can add to your favorite tossed salad for a burst of flavor.
Select a spot in your garden that receives full sun. The planting site should also be able to retain water because vining spinach requires constantly moist soil to thrive.
Apply a layer of organic compost or manure to the planting site. Rake the compost or manure into the soil.
Cut through the seed coat with a sharp knife just before planting. This is known as scarification, and helps speed up germination.
Use a garden trowel or your finger to create small 1-inch deep holes. Space them 1 inch apart. Drop a seed into each hole and cover with soil.
Water the vining spinach seeds often to keep the soil moist. It takes between 14 and 21 days for the seeds to sprout.
Apply a thin layer of nitrogen-based fertilizer around the base of the seedlings, once they have sprouted. Water the fertilizer into the soil.
Thin the spinach seedlings so there is one plant per 1 to 2 feet of soil.
Place a trellis behind the vining spinach seedlings as they grow taller. A trellis provides support for the vine as it matures and prevents soil from getting into the folds of the leaves.
Things You Will Need
- Compost or manure
- Sharp knife
- Garden trowel
- Nitrogen-based fertilizer
- Garden hose
- You can harvest vining spinach 55 to 70 days after germination. Cut off the edible stem tips regularly. This will encourage your plant to produce a constant supply of edible shoots and leaves.
- Use the green variety of vining spinach for cooking and the red variety for raw salads.
- If you have limited garden space, grow vining spinach in a hanging basket. Water it often and hang the basket in a place that gets full sun.
- Water vining spinach often. The plant requires moist soil to prevent it from flowering, which causes the leaves to taste bitter.