How to grow Brazilian Spinach in Australia

Where to plant

Brazilian spinach suits subtropical and tropical gardens and is unlikely to do well further south than Sydney. It grows in full sun or light shade and tolerates most soils, though it prefers a moderate to rich loam with compost, kept moist but never waterlogged.

It forms a neat mound about 30 cm high and roots where its stems touch the soil, so it also makes a useful edible groundcover.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, North Queensland and Darwin: grows year round, at its best in the warm, wet months.
• Sydney: plant from October to January once the soil is warm. It sulks through winter, so give it a sheltered spot on the coast or grow it in a pot you can move in frosty western suburbs.
• Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart: not suitable outdoors, as the winters are too cold. Silverbeet is a better leafy green there.

How to plant

1. Take cuttings 15 to 20 cm long from an established plant.
2. Strip the leaves from the lower half of each cutting.
3. Plant three or four cuttings together in each hole, buried to half their length, about 40 cm apart.
4. Keep the soil moist until they root and start growing, usually within a few weeks.

Watering and feeding

Water regularly for tender leaves, especially in dry spells, but do not let the soil stay soggy. Mulch helps keep the soil moist.

Brazilian spinach responds to nitrogen. Dig in compost before planting and give an occasional liquid feed or side dressing of manure through the growing season.

Pruning and care through the year

• Pick often to keep the plant compact and producing fresh shoots.
• Trim back straggly growth; the trimmings make cuttings for new plants.
• In cooler areas, growth slows or stops in winter and resumes when it warms up.

Harvesting

Start picking about two months after planting cuttings. Pick the young shoot tips and leaves, cutting just above a leaf joint so the plant branches. Regular picking keeps it producing for years.

Use the leaves fresh. They keep a few days in a bag in the fridge.

Growing in pots

It grows well in a pot at least 25 cm wide with a good potting mix, which lets cooler-area gardeners move it into shelter in winter. Water regularly and feed lightly.

Using it

• Cook the leaves. They contain oxalates, so boil or steam them, and if they still irritate the throat, change the cooking water.
• Use it in stir-fries, curries, soups and omelettes as you would spinach.
• Small amounts of young leaves are sometimes added raw to salads, but cooking is the safer choice if you eat a lot.

Propagating from cuttings

Plants rarely set seed and are grown from cuttings, which root easily. Take cuttings in spring or summer, or during the wet season in the tropics, and plant them straight into moist soil or a pot.