New Zealand Spinach

New Zealand spinach grows well in warm weather in fertile, well-drained soil at pH 6.0-7.0. Add compost and use light nitrogen feeding after repeated harvests, keeping moisture steady for tender leaves on its spreading stems.

Sun

Full sun

Water

Even moisture; about 1 in/week including rain

Spacing

18 in

First harvest

55–70 days

Tips

• A heat-tolerant leafy crop; soak seed before sowing and cook leaves.
• Sow the hard seed clusters 1/2 inch deep once soil reaches about 65°F and thin plants to 12-18 inches apart.
• Water deeply when the top inch dries and mulch around plants without burying the stems.
• Pinch growing tips to encourage branching, and watch for slugs or leaf spots in dense growth.
• Pick young leaves and tender tips regularly, leaving enough foliage for regrowth.