Basella alba
Malabar spinach
Common names: Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 30 cm, rows 50 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Jul–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 5 °C
- Water need
- High
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This description was machine-translated.
Description
Basella alba, commonly known as Malabar spinach, is a trailing leafy vegetable that is botanically unrelated to true spinach. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and prefers a climate where ordinary spinach has already gone to seed in summer. The plant produces thick, glossy leaves that taste somewhat like spinach but are slightly slimy and are usually lightly steamed before eating. As a vine it requires a trellis or fence to climb and benefits from warm, sheltered spots, where it can grow vigorously into the fall.
Care instructions
Plant after the last frost, ideally around mid‑May (week 20), as the plant cannot tolerate cold. It prefers a warm, sunny to partially shaded location and consistently moist, nutrient‑rich soil; never allow the soil to dry out completely. Provide a support early on, as the stems can quickly grow several meters and naturally seek support. Harvest young leaves and shoot tips regularly to encourage bushier growth. In regions where it is grown as an annual, harvest the last crop before the first frost, as temperatures below about 5 °C are not tolerated.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestJul–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 20 °C, ideally 28 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, well-drained
Malabar spinach likes a humus-rich, evenly moist soil with good nutrient supply. It does not tolerate waterlogging, so despite the moisture the soil should stay loose and well drained. A warm, sheltered spot with humus-rich soil gives the best yields.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
May–Aug
As a heavy feeder, Malabar spinach appreciates well-rotted compost, which you work into the bed before planting. During the main growing season from May to August you can feed every few weeks with diluted nettle liquid feed. This keeps growth strong and the leaves tender.
Overwintering
In Central Europe Malabar spinach is grown as an annual crop, as it does not tolerate frost and already shows growth damage at temperatures below 10 degrees. Before the first frost you should clear the plant or bring it indoors as a potted plant to bright, warm winter quarters. Permanent overwintering outdoors is not possible here.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
The easiest way is to start Malabar spinach from seed, which you soak for about a day before sowing because of the hard seed coat. From mid-May · week 20, when there is no more risk of frost, you can sow directly in the bed or plant out young plants started indoors. Alternatively, cuttings about 15 cm long root easily in water or moist soil. This method is good for propagating fine mother plants.
For your garden
Grow Malabar spinach yourself
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