Growing New Zealand Spinach

Seed

Long Germination

Notes
New Zealand Spinach (NZS) is a warm season Perennial. It's often used as an excellent alternative to regular Spinach, because it does so well in hot, dry conditions. It is vine-like and produces abundant fleshy, brittle green leaves and young stem tips. This NZS resembles regular Spinach in flavor and use. It can be grown until frost, and in subtropical areas, all year long.

They can have problems germinating so treating them as extra-long germinating seeds will help.

Plant after all danger of frost has passed.

Although NZS is drought tolerant, it should be watered consistently for best flavor. Leaves should be harvested regularly to encourage new growth. The leaves and tips can be used raw or cooked.

NZS is high in vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C content, and low in fat and fiber.

Caution: NZS has high oxalate content, which can be dangerous at high concentrations. It's recommended that the leaves are blanched for 3 minutes, the water disposed of, and then the greens refreshed in iced water before eating. However, many people still use it raw in salads.

Planting

Harvest

Cultural

Varieties