Malabar spinach

Malabar spinach: plant 30 cm (12 in) apart in the row and 30 cm (12 in) between rows, 2 per square. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	30 cm (12 in)
Between rows	30 cm (12 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	2 per square
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	25 cm (10 in)
Height when grown	180 cm (71 in)
Crop rotation group	Anywhere in the rotation
Support	Climbs: give it a trellis or teepee

Sowing and germination

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed, started in trays
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	10
Sowing depth	0.6 cm (0.2 in)
Soil temperature	from 20 °C, best 24–30 °C
Days to emerge	5–10 days
Light while germinating	Needs darkness, cover well
Before sowing	Soak overnight
When to sow	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 18 °C

From seedling to plant

After emergence	12–18 °C; take the cover off as soon as they show
Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	5–7 days
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, stays moist, pH 6–7
In a pot	6 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while leaves grow
Feeding	Moderate; at planting, while growing
Support and training	A trellis or net; tie in as it grows

Harvest and planning

Days to first harvest	60–80 days, from sowing
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 8–14 weeks
Sow again every	14 days
Typical yield	2–4 kg per m²
Botanical family	Basellaceae
Watch out for	Slugs and snails, aphids, downy mildew

Plan Malabar spinach in your garden

Open the free planner, drop Malabar spinach onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Start Planning Your Garden

Sowing and harvest

Sow indoors	Apr
Sow outdoors	May
Harvest	Jul–Oct

My dates for this crop

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

What to plant next to Malabar spinach →

Grown much the same way

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

Sources

The values on this page marked as checked come from these sources: spacing, sowing depth, germination, soil, timing and safety notes, each against the source named here.

Malabar Spinach (HS1371) — University of Florida IFAS Extension for: sowing depth, between rows, spacing in the row; checked 2026-10-31
Malabar Spinach (CCD-CP-130) — University of Kentucky, Center for Crop Diversification for: between rows, spacing in the row; checked 2026-10-31

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