Brazilian spinach grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Alternanthera also known as Sissoo spinach or Alternanthera Sissoo, Brazilian spinach perennial evergreen plant or as annual in cold climate, mostly used as edible but also used as ornamental plant for the leaves, can grow in tropic, subtropical or mediterranean climate and growing as perennial hardiness zone 10b+ and as annual in hardiness zone 8-10a with long summer.
Brazilian spinach leaves
Leaves edible fleshy in the shape ovate to shapeless the structure is wavy to curly and the color green leaves.
Flower color is white, small flowers and insignificant.
Brazilian spinach for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy
How to grow Brazilian spinach growing and care:
Humidity, rich soil, moist soil, mulch, organic matter, when grown as annual need to take indoor new cutting for next year
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed (mostly not viable rarely can find viable seeds) / Vegetative Reproduction start by cutting possible to put in water and switch the water every few days another option it’s to put in moist soil, with humidity and peat soil or and other option layering – bending a branch over and covering it with soil.
Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction?
Yes, start by cutting, because it’s almost not possible to start from seeds
Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive
Recommended planting season?
Spring, summer, autumn, as annual in spring after last frost hardiness zone 8-10a (possible colder if there is long summer or take cutting indoor for the winter, in hardiness zone 10b+11a spring to summer, possible in the autumn but might not survive the winter, hardiness zone 11b+ possible all the year
Pests and diseases:
Aphids, ants
Pruning season:
All year
How to prune:
Dead branches and for harvest
Size of the plant?
30-50cm, (12-20 inches) but mostly grow wide as long as given
Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing
Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / Half Shade
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes
Blooming information
Bloom season:
Spring / Summer
General information about the flower:
Small white flowers, flowers are barely seen
Pollination is done by:
Bees, but mostly not pollinated in order to get seeds need to try to hand pollinate but because most of the flowers are not viable the chance of success very low.
Edible leaves
Leaves harvesting season:
All year in hardiness zone 11b+, hardiness zone 8-10 spring to summer, hardiness zone 10b+11 spring to autumn
How to harvest the leaves?
After establishes cut the leaves with the branches, better for raw eating to cut young leaves, and also for cooking but less important
Information about leaves:
Leaves fleshy in the shape ovate to shapeless the structure is wavy to curly and the color green leaves
Uses of Brazilian spinach leaves:
Eat raw, cooked, stir fry, salad
Scientific name:
Alternanthera sissoo