How to grow New Zealand Spinach

Where to plant

Grow New Zealand spinach in full sun or light shade in any well-drained soil; it copes with heat, drought and poor or salty soil better than most greens, though rich, moist soil gives more tender leaves. Give it room to sprawl, or let it trail over a wall or the edge of a raised bed.

It grows best under long, warm days and is killed by frost, so sow it after the last frost once the soil has warmed.

• Florida and the Gulf South: sow in spring (March to June) and, in Central and South Florida, again in late summer. It is one of the few spinach-like greens that keeps going in Florida's heat.
• Texas and the Desert Southwest: sow in spring and again in late summer; give it some afternoon shade and water in the desert.
• California: sow from spring into midsummer.
• Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Plains: sow from late April to early summer for picking all summer.
• Northeast, Midwest, Northern Plains, Mountain West and the Pacific Northwest: sow in May or June after frost, or start indoors a few weeks earlier. It fills the gap when spring spinach bolts.
• Hawaii: any month. Alaska: start indoors and plant out in June.

How to plant

1. Soak the hard seed overnight before sowing to speed germination, which can be slow and uneven.
2. Sow seed about 1/2 to 1 inch deep after the soil has warmed, or start indoors in pots.
3. Each seed pod can give several seedlings. Thin them to one strong plant every 12 inches or more once they are large enough to handle.
4. Water in and keep the soil moist until plants are established.

Watering and feeding

New Zealand spinach tolerates dry spells, but regular watering gives more tender, mild leaves.

A little compost or a light feed in midsummer keeps new growth coming.

Harvesting

Pinch off the tender top 3 to 4 inches of the shoots, with their leaves, every week or so. Regular picking keeps plants bushy and producing new growth until frost.

Store tips in a bag in the fridge for a few days.

Growing in pots

It grows in a large pot or trough, at least 10 inches deep, where it can trail over the edge. Water regularly in hot weather.

Using it

Cook it like spinach: blanch the leaves and shoot tips in boiling water for a minute or two, discard the water, then use them in sautes, soups, pies and pasta. Blanching reduces the oxalates, which can be high, especially for people prone to kidney stones.

Propagation and saving seed

Plants often self-seed where they grew the year before. Seed can also be saved from the dry, horned seed pods at the end of the season.