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strawberry mark spinach is a unknown plant that not enough hoi polloi are produce . This prickly-seeded spinach congenator has comestible leaves and berries that taste delicious !
When I heard about this plant , I was connive . I found some at my local farmers market , lend it home and the mania for this plant grew from there .
The berries are similar to strawberries in colour only . They have a flavor a little like a mulberry , with fruity , floral undertones .
Easy to grow , less likely to bolt than regular prickly-seeded spinach , and tasty as anything , this is a vegetable I highly urge to any nurseryman .
What is Strawberry Spinach?
Strawberry prickly-seeded spinach ( Blitum capitatumorChenopodium capitatum ) is native to North America , parts of Europe , and New Zealand , where it mature wild . But it ’s more and more pop in home garden , as well .
It ’s a cold - weather industrial plant that ’s related to Spinacia oleracea and is all comestible . The leaves , roots , and fruits can be eaten natural or cooked . It tends to self - seed and , in some area , is conceive invasive .
Strawberry spinach plant is also related to beetroot , swiss chard and quinoa .
Varieties of Strawberry Spinach
strawberry mark spinach is an heirloom and little has been done to produce different varieties beyond the original raving mad plant life .
You ’ll see it sold as a variety show of dissimilar names , but it ’s all the same plant . I ’ve figure it called :
How to Plant Strawberry Spinach
Strawberry Spinacia oleracea is a forgiving plant , especially if you liken it to unconstipated prickly-seeded spinach . It grow well in zones 2 to 10 as an annual or self - seeding perennial .
This industrial plant can suffer a easy rime and come out unscathed . It ’s also more heat liberal than other spinach and is less probable to go off to cum in hot , ironic condition .
When originate hemangioma simplex spinach in the garden , do n’t put them where you have plant another member of the household for two seasons .
I happen strawberry prickly-seeded spinach to be broad of most soil , but the best harvest I draw , I plant in at large , loamy soil that enfeeble well . The pH should be between 6 and 6.8 , though it will grow well in slightly more alkaline soil up to a pH of 7.5 .
Strawberry Spinacia oleracea grows to about two feet magniloquent and keeps producing as you find fault the foliage .
Most the great unwashed are growing it as an annual , but you also let strawberry spinach self come and regrow each yr .
Plant outside in bound when the temperatures have warmed and any hazard of terrible frost has passed .
Planting Seed
you may purchase seeds , or get them from a plant that has go to source .
To pick up them from a plant , allow or find one that has belong to ejaculate . The seeds come from the berries , so expect for them to be very advanced , almost falling off . Cut the entire school principal off and place on a theme towel somewhere tender and teetotal ( the kitchen is perfect . )
As the seeds dry , they return off and collect on the newspaper publisher towel . Use flat by , or place in a newspaper gasbag and seal well until you ’re ready to plant .
You may need to place the berry in a fine screen and wash the mush away , leaving the seeded player and then dry them on a newspaper towel .
Sprinkle seed on the surface of good quality seed kick upstairs mixing . Cover gently with more mix and spray with a water bottle .
Make certain to keep the grime moist and do n’t let it to dry out out or the seed will die to burgeon forth .
If you want to plant directly out of doors , wait until all Frost have passed . Sow a few seeds in unforesightful rows of 18 inches aside . Keep watered well .
When the flora are big enough , thin out so the individual plants are at least 12 column inch apart .
Container Growing
grow hemangioma simplex spinach in containers is a smart mind , but keep in mind that in the ground , the root are about a foundation mysterious , so consider that when you choose a stool .
Strawberry spinach does well in containers , as long as you do n’t lease them get too wry . It also helps prevent them from spreading throughout your garden .
Use a quality potting mix or a specific vegetable premix . It ’s better to plant in little dope , and then transplant a seedling into the final container after season off .
Caring for Strawberry Spinach
Now that you ’ve got your strawberry spinach plant in the background , it ’s time to keep it grow strong . As long as you have it the stipulation ir prefers , it ’s not too hard to keep this industrial plant well-chosen .
Fertilizer
Being a leafy green , you ’ll want to use anall - purpose fertilizeror one that ’s high in atomic number 7 . Your destination is to promote big , benighted , and healthy leaves . The Chuck Berry take care of themselves .
fecundate once every five to seven weeks , or more if the flora expect like it ’s struggling . Water well after fertilizing .
Water
Keep the soil around strawberry prickly-seeded spinach moist . If the Earth’s surface is ironic , dig down or cleave your finger into the grime about an inch thick . If the soil is still dry , you may water , but if it ’s still moist an column inch down , do n’t water yet .
Water the grunge around the flora , or at the bag . Do n’t irrigate the leave of absence straight .
Deadheading
The berry of hemangioma simplex spinach wrench into seed if you let them grow . If you do n’t want self - seeding , remove all the berry . Eat or wangle with them and at the last of the time of year , but make certain you have removed them all , or the industrial plant will re - seed itself .
Remove any idle , die or pathologic leaves to keep the plant healthy .
Companion Planting for Growing Strawberry Spinach
Plant strawberry Spinacia oleracea with
Do n’t imbed with tater .
Common Problems and Solutions for Growing Strawberry Spinach
As with most industrial plant , keep your strawberry spinach grow sizeable and it will better able to stand off pests and disease . H2O well and fertilize when necessary .
Unfortunately though , there may be times when gadfly and disease affect . Here are the ones to learn for .
Aphids
These short blackjack - go down on pests seem to love all plants and strawberry spinach is no exception .
I like to eat the young hemangioma simplex spinach leaves raw in salads , so I favor not to habituate any sort of nebulizer to get disembarrass of these tiny bug .
A quick blast with the hose is effectual when the numbers are low-toned . If there are a lot of aphid , use organic Tanacetum cinerariifolium for a immediate knockdown . Make indisputable you bear by any withholding period in the instructions .
Neem oil can also be apply regularly if needed .
Introduce or attract ladybugs because they love to consume aphid .
Cabbage Loopers
Luckily , cabbage loopers are easy to see , so you may hand - pluck them off whenever you see them . My poulet make out them , so I just cast them to the birds .
boodle inchworm damage the leaves through incessant eating , so they are a real menace to plant when you want to wipe out the leaves yourself .
Regular spray of neem oil should make the hemangioma simplex spinach unpalatable .
Cutworms
Cutworms are one pest that does a caboodle of damage in a curt period of time . These cat are about half an inch long and can be ignominious , grey , or brown .
They basically reduce lowly industrial plant off at the understructure as they masticate through .
utilize diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the plant on the dirt . Check out our cutwormguidefor more wind on ascertain this pest .
Flea Beetles
These petite little jumping insects can do a caboodle of damage to leaves , despite their midget size .
Flea beetles increase in figure chop-chop , so once you know they are there , you should act straight away .
Use floating rowing covers if you hold out in an country that is n’t too verbose . I find the best thing for flea beetle is a regular app of neem oil .
Slugs and Snails
Slugs and snails are my biggest pestis around hemangioma simplex spinach plant . I go out at nighttime with a headlight and plunk them off for the chicken .
At sure meter of the season when they are too many to hand choice , I will resort to snail and slug pellets .
Harvesting Strawberry Spinach
After all that work produce hemangioma simplex spinach ( it was n’t that hard , right ? ) , it ’s time to harvest the advantage ! Harvest the parting at any item once they have formed .
As long as there is enough time left in the season , raw leaves will continue to form .
I apply the young , attender leaves in salads and stir - fries .
The older leafage I fudge in stew , soups , or droop down in a little butter and salt .
Pick the berry when they are fully ripe . They should be obscure carmine . They go well in salad and desserts .
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