New Zealand Spinach is not a true spinach, but a warm weather plant that provides copious amounts of leaves for salads and cooked greens. Start seeds inside 2-3 weeks before your last frost date or sow outside after all danger of frost has passed. Soak the small, hard seeds overnight before planting. Once it is established it is vigorous and trouble-free. Pick the leaves and young shoots from the trailing plants regularly to lengthen the harvest. New Zealand spinach is a perennial in areas with mild winters, but is grown as a tender annual in all regions that experience temperatures below freezing.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow once soil has warmed up in mid- to late spring. Soaking the seeds for 12 hours prior to sowing tends to speed up germination. The seeds can also be started indoors before the last average frost date, but wait until the soil really warms up outdoors before transplanting. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15-24°C.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow seeds 1cm deep, and 5-10cm apart. Thin to 30-45cm apart in rows 60-90cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Ideal pH: 6.8-7.0. This crop performs well in containers. Place 2 plants in each minimum 5 gallon container. Try growing in small hills like squash plants, with one plant per hill. Grow in full sun in moisture-retentive, freely draining soil. Add several scoops of well-rotted compost or manure beneath each plant.
How To Grow, Harvest: One or two plants per household member should supply ample summer harvest greens. Pick immature leaves as needed.
60 days.
Approx: 55 Seeds
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