Is Malabar spinach suitable for growing on a home balcony? What are the planting time and methods?

Among vegetables, there is one that tastes as crisp and refreshing as wood ear mushroom, and it is commonly cultivated in both the north and south - it is Malabar spinach.So is Malabar spinach suitable for growing on a home balcony? What are the planting time and methods?

1. Basic information about Malabar spinach

1. Distribution of Malabar spinach

Malabar spinach is a perennial tall herbaceous plant, also known as creeping spinach, (luokui), tofu vegetable, purple angle leaf, and chan cai. It is distributed in both northern and southern regions of China, and prefers to grow in understory, on hillsides, or in roadside grass, at an altitude of 1350-3400 m. It is also distributed in India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Thailand.

2. Value of Malabar spinach

Both the stems and leaves of Malabar spinach can be eaten, and the whole plant can be used medicinally. It has the effects of lubricating the intestines, dissipating heat, and promoting urination and defecation; the flower juice has the effect of clearing blood and detoxifying; in addition, the leaves of Malabar spinach contain a variety of vitamins as well as calcium and iron, can be grown as a vegetable, and can also be used for ornamental purposes. Its fruit juice can also be used as a harmless food coloring agent.

2. Is Malabar spinach suitable for growing on a home balcony?

Malabar spinach is simple to grow and sprouts quickly. Whether grown for eating or for ornamental purposes, it can be grown on a home balcony. If growing it on a home balcony, you can follow the methods below:

1. Prepare a foam box or another container suitable for planting, and fill it with soil to which base fertilizer has been applied;

2. From the fresh Malabar spinach you bought, remove the excess leaves (you may appropriately leave 1-2 leaves), leave the thick stems and cut the Malabar spinach stems to about 15 cm, keeping three nodes. To increase the success rate, you can also leave them a bit longer and keep 1-2 more buds.

3. Use scissors to cut a slanted opening at the lower end of the Malabar spinach stem, so that the cut stem is more likely to take root. Then insert the prepared stems into the soil and water thoroughly. Remember that the growing soil must be kept moist; just spray some water every day, and roots will generally grow in about 10 days.

3. What are the planting time and methods for Malabar spinach?

For large-scale planting, Malabar spinach is generally propagated by sowing, so below is an introduction to the time and methods for sowing and planting.

(1) Planting time for Malabar spinach

Malabar spinach is generally sown in April, and the time can be adjusted appropriately according to different climates and environments in different places. In addition, because the seed coat of Malabar spinach is hard, it needs to be pre-germinated before sowing.

(2) Planting methods for Malabar spinach

1. To pre-germinate Malabar spinach seeds, first soak the seeds in 35°C warm water for 1-2 days, then remove them and keep them at 25-30°C for germination. After about 4 days, once the seeds “show white&rdquo, they can be sown. The planting land should first be deeply plowed, leveled, and supplied with organic fertilizer.

2. When sowing, drilling or broadcasting can be used. Keep a good sowing spacing. Water before sowing and cover with plastic film after sowing. After the Malabar spinach sprouts, keep the temperature at 25-26°C during the day and 16-17°C at night.

3. During the growing period of Malabar spinach, in addition to intertillage, weeding, and earthing up around the base, quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should also be applied several times. Generally, after seedling establishment, apply 15 kg of urea and 5-8 kg of phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer per 667 sq m. After that, fertilizer should be applied after each harvest, with 15 kg of urea applied per 667 sq m each time.

4. During the management period of Malabar spinach, attention should be paid to attacks by diseases such as brown spot disease (also called fish-eye disease), red spot disease, and frog-eye disease. Early treatment should be carried out as soon as they are detected, and different agents should be applied according to different conditions to ensure quality and yield.

The above is all the content introduced to you by Tuliu.com. Friends who like to eat Malabar spinach may as well try growing some at home.