How to Grow Malabar Spinach

Updated June 2026

A warm-season leafy green for the home garden.

Malabar Spinach is a rewarding warm-season crop for backyard growers.

🌱 Plant profile: Malabar Spinach, with sowing times for your region, companion plants and common pests.

When to plant

Plant Malabar Spinach in spring once the soil has warmed and all frost has passed. In the warmest regions a second crop is possible in late summer. See your region on the malabar spinach page for exact timing.

Varieties

• Red Stem, Ornamental red-stemmed vine (Baker Creek)
• Green Malabar, Milder green-stemmed type (Southern Exposure Seed Exchange)

How to grow it

• Sun & soil: full sun, rich well-drained soil with even moisture.
• Spacing: about 16 in between plants.
• Sowing: sow about 0.5 in deep.
• Water: roughly 1.3 gal per plant every 2 days in hot weather.
• Containers: grows well in a pot of 10 in+ with trellis.

Pests & problems

Watch for Aphids. In humid regions, space plants for airflow and water at the roots in the morning.

Harvest

Malabar Spinach is usually ready to harvest in roughly 7 weeks. Pick regularly to keep plants productive.

When to plant in your region

Pick your region to see exactly when to plant malabar spinach where you garden.

See also: Malabar Spinach in the plant library →

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