Enjoy homegrown, nutrient-packed greens all summer long with Malabar spinach. This heat-loving vine grows with gusto just when other more cool-temperature-loving greens are turning bitter and heading for the compost pile. The heart-shaped dark green leaves taste a bit like spinach with a hint of pepper and citrus. And while this plant will give you plenty of nutritious greens, it also adds ornamental value with its lush growth. Use this guide to grow your own Malabar spinach so you can enjoy all that this vine has to offer.
Malabar Spinach Overview
Where to Plant Malabar Spinach
Native to tropical Asia, Malabar is hardy in USDA Zones 10 and 11 where it can be grown as a perennial. However, it's typically grown as an annual in colder regions. This edible vine can also be decorative when planted in the right spot.
Plant Malabar spinach where it can add a strong vertical accent to ornamental plantings (make sure it has a robust support such as a nearby fence or sturdy trellis). It can grow to 10 feet or more if allowed, so plant it toward the back of a border garden where its glossy leaves will create a lovely foil for colorful flowering annuals or perennials.
Malabar spinach can also be planted in large containers—large enough to support a tall trellis. Because it needs lots of moisture, you’ll need to water container grown plants often.
CARSON DOWNING
How and When to Plant Malabar Spinach
Plant Malabar spinach from seed sown directly in the garden after the chance of frost has passed in spring and the soil has warmed. Seeds can also be started indoors 6 weeks before your area's last frost date in spring, although this isn’t usually necessary unless your growing season is very short; it grows quite fast once the weather warms.
It generally takes 2 to 3 weeks for Malabar spinach seeds to germinate. You can hasten germination by scarifying the seeds, which can be done by rubbing the seeds between two pieces of sandpaper to rough up the seed coat. This allows water in more easily, which helps the seeds sprout faster.
For sowing seed directly in the garden, space seeds about 2 inches apart, thinning to 6 to 8 inches apart when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. If you start seed indoors, be sure to harden off the seedlings before transplanting outside, 6 to 8 inches apart.
Because Malabar spinach is a twining vine, it needs a suitable support to climb. A trellis can be purchased or you can DIY a trellis next to your planting. Or if there’s a convenient fence, sow the seed along it.
Once the vines of your Malabar spinach begin to grow, weave them around the support so they start to climb up the structure. Once you introduce them to their support, they’ll twine on their own.
JASON DONNELLEY
Malabar Spinach Care Tips
Malabar spinach thrives in heat and requires little else other than some sort of support for its tall vines and abundant water. If you can provide that, it will reward you with a steady supply of nutritious salad greens throughout the summer.
Light
Malabar spinach grows best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. Because it covers its support in dense foliage, consider if nearby plants will be impacted by the shade it creates. While most other vegetables do best with lots of sun, some, such as lettuce, arugula, parsley, and cilantro, may tolerate or even benefit from some shade—especially afternoon shade.
Soil and Water
Malabar spinach grows best in a well-draining loamy or sandy soil with lots of organic matter. It will also do well in damp soils as long as they aren’t constantly soggy. Although not picky about soils, it will produce best if you add organic matter such as compost to the soil to help retain moisture and provide nutrients.
This plant does poorly where soils dry out. Water frequently and deeply. Apply a two-inch layer of mulch to help retain soil moisture. If the soil dries out, plants tend to develop flowers prematurely, which causes leaves to turn bitter.
Temperature and Humidity
This heat-loving plant does not do well if nighttime temperatures consistently dip below 60°F. Wait until the soil is warm—at least 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost date—to sow seed or transplant seedlings into the garden. Malabar spinach thrives during hot and humid summer days, climbing quickly to cover its support. Growth slows as temperatures cool in the fall.
Fertilizer
Incorporate a generous amount of compost to the soil before planting. Encourage steady growth throughout the summer with applications of a liquid fertilizer every 2 to 3 weeks.
Pruning and Harvesting
Prune vines to maintain the desired height. Remove flower stems whenever they appear to keep the plant's energy going towards growing leaves.
Begin harvesting young leaves and tender shoot tips—which are more tender than mature ones—about 55 days after sowing. Continue harvesting through summer. Snipping the tips of the shoots will encourage the development of more lateral shoots.
Pests and Problems
Malabar spinach is relatively pest-free in most gardens. It may develop a fungal disease on leaves called Cercospora, which also infects spinach, beets, and Swiss chard as well as several common weeds. Infected leaves develop darkened spots with reddish or purple margins. Remove all infected leaves and dispose of them in the trash (do not compost) to prevent the disease’s spread. Keep your garden weeded.
How to Propagate Malabar Spinach
Sow seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost date or direct sow in the garden 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost date and after the soil has warmed. Cuttings taken of the vine tips can be rooted in water or soil for planting in the garden or in containers.
Types of Malabar Spinach
In addition to green Malabar spinach (Basella alba) there is a red stemmed species (Basella rubra).
'Malabar Red Stem' spinach
MARTY BALDWN
Basella rubra 'Malabar Red Stem' features thick burgundy stems that twine around any support that you provide for it. Its leaves boast pinkish veins. Its colorful stems and leaves add to its ornamental value. Use the medium-green leaves as you would spinach.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I grow Malabar spinach indoors?If you have a very sunny window and a large pot with a sturdy trellis or other support for the vine, you can grow Malabar spinach indoors. Take stem cuttings from outdoor plants in late summer and root them in moist soil or water. Pot them in your container and watch them grow. They may need to be trimmed frequently to keep them within desired bounds.
If you have a very sunny window and a large pot with a sturdy trellis or other support for the vine, you can grow Malabar spinach indoors. Take stem cuttings from outdoor plants in late summer and root them in moist soil or water. Pot them in your container and watch them grow. They may need to be trimmed frequently to keep them within desired bounds.
- Is Malabar spinach slimy when cooked?When cooked, the leaves of Malabar spinach have a texture that's similar to cooked okra. While some people find this unpleasant, the compound that causes sliminess is actually beneficial—it is rich in soluble fiber and can aid digestion. You probably won’t notice much sliminess if you use the leaves raw.
When cooked, the leaves of Malabar spinach have a texture that's similar to cooked okra. While some people find this unpleasant, the compound that causes sliminess is actually beneficial—it is rich in soluble fiber and can aid digestion. You probably won’t notice much sliminess if you use the leaves raw.
- Can you eat the berries of Malabar spinach?The dark purple, pea-sized berries of Malabar spinach are edible, but they lack flavor. If allowed to drop to the ground, you may find many Malabar spinach volunteers the following spring. You can transplant these to the spot or container where you want to grow them.
The dark purple, pea-sized berries of Malabar spinach are edible, but they lack flavor. If allowed to drop to the ground, you may find many Malabar spinach volunteers the following spring. You can transplant these to the spot or container where you want to grow them.