Brazilian spinach

How to grow Brazilian spinach plant growing conditions and care:

Humidity, rich soil with organic matter, moist soil, mulch, organic matter, when grown as annual need to take indoor new cutting for next year.

How to care:
Add fertilizer at least once a year, better to put mulch, prune once a year

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed (mostly not viable rarely can find viable seeds) / Vegetative Reproduction – bending a branch over and covering it with soil or cutting

How to propagate:
Propagating 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 keep the moist soil and peat soil, temperature 23-27C (73-80F) and better to use root growth hormone

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 – when to plant?
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

How to plant:
Dig hole bigger than the root ball, add dead leaves and organic matter, cover the plant and put mulch to keep the soil moist, in the first two weeks need to increase the amount of water

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, ants

Pruning season:
All year, but better after blooming season

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 pots, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when grow in container minimum size 10-30 liter (2-6 gallon) depend if grown as annual or perennial, the plant require average to big amount of water and put mulch to keep the soil moist and makes enough holes that the water go out of the pot, when it’s grow as perennial every few years better to switch soil, and prune part of the roots and the plants, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, put fertilizer at least once a year, rich with organic matter, can use in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite.

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

How to grow Brazilian spinach plant from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Find viable seeds (be aware that it’s hard to find), moist soil, humidity, better temperature 23-27C (73-80F)

Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dark and dry location

Sowing season:
Spring in places of hot summer / Summer in half shade will be better or even in full shade

How to plant:
Plant in soil that keep and release the water like peat soil

Planting spacing:
20*30cm, 8*12 inches

Depth of Sowing:
0.5-1cm (0.25-0.5 inch)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, high humidity, morning sun

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Germination time:
1-2 month

Condition of seedling:
Moist soil, put mulch in order to keep the moist, high humidity

Scientific name:

Alternanthera sissoo