Back
Malabar Spinach
Basella alba
Still time — sow latevegetable
Tropical heat-loving climbing vine grown as an annual for thick, succulent spinach-like leaves that hold up to summer heat when true spinach bolts.
In Zone 7b, right now
Still time to plant — it should mature before frost
The usual transplant window (Mid April – Mid May) has closed, but with about 70 days to harvest there's still enough season left. Get it in now.
Edible?
Yes — vegetable
Small space?
Yes, but it gets tall
Sun
Full sun (6+ hrs)
Comes back yearly?
No — replant each year
Harvest in
70 days
Ways to plant it
Start seeds indoors
Past the ideal window — still time
Mid February – Early March
Start seeds in trays now; they only need a few weeks indoors before they go straight out into the warm soil.
Direct sow
Past the ideal window — still time
Mid April – Mid May
Plant seeds straight into the ground (or a container) outdoors.
Transplant
Past the ideal window — still time
Mid April – Mid May
Buy a young plant from a nursery, or move one you started indoors, into the ground or a pot.
Your weekly planting note
Every Friday morning: what's safe to plant in Zone 7b. Malabar Spinach will be in there when its window opens. Unsubscribe in one tap.