How to Grow Malabar Spinach from Seed to Harvest

Bacchali (Basella alba L.) is called ‘Indian Spinach’ or ‘Malabar Spinach’ in English. Its tender branches and leaves along with the stalks are cooked as a vegetable. Apart from its leaves, the tender stems are also rich in vitamin A. Since the oxalic acids in Malabar spinach are much lower than in Spinach, they do not cause any harm to our health, especially to the kidneys.

The juice extracted from Malabar spinach fruits (berries) is used to add color to foods due to its good red color. In China, a powder called “Jintu” is made and sold from Malabar spinach fruits.

Spinach can be planted on the ground or on a climber, but also on a fence in gardens. It is an annual or biennial shrub that grows like a vine. The leaves are broad and the flowers are white or pink in clusters.

In this article I have explained How to Malabar Spinach from Seed to Harvest, which helps every farmer and home gardener to gain the knowledge on

Available verities of Malabar Spinach.
Seed germination time.
Suitable soil and weather conditions.
Field preparation and planting distance.
Fertilizer and Water Management.
Required seed per acre and expected yield per acre.

Malabar Spinach called with different names in other Indian languages:Poi saag, Kodi Pasalai, Bacchali.. etc

Weather:

Suitable for hot humid climate, but does not tolerate high temperature. Temperature in areas with high rainfall, the temperature rises to 25-32°C. Also grows well in areas with partial shade.

Soils:

Suitable for all soils from sandy soils to clay soils. Heavy soil should have drainage facility. Yields are best in alluvial soils with high organic matter and Soils with a Soil PH levels 5.5–6.5 suitable.

Varieties:

There are no specific recognized varieties.

Green Malabar Spinach:

The most common variety has dark green leaves that are round or oval in shape.

Big Malabar Spinach:

The leaves are heart-shaped and large, 9-13 cm long and 5-6 cm wide, with a dark green color.

Red Malabar Spinach:

This variety has red stems and fruits.

Seed Per Acre:

Seed Rate: 5.0-6.4 kg of seed per acre and stem cuttings 11,100-22,000 per acre.
Harvesting: 42-50 days after planting
Yield: 6.0-8.0 tones / acre

Planting time:

Kharif – June to end of July.

Rabi-From the beginning of October to the end of the month

Planting distance:

On ground : 60×60 cm, On climber : 60×30 cm

Method of Planting:

Seeds or stem cuttings with roots can be sown directly in the main field. If the seed is grown in beds first, it should be planted at the stage of 2-3 leaves.

Water management:

Leaves are dense and have high water content. So, water the Malabar spinach every 5-6 days. If the water is low, the vines will become thin and shriveled. The leaves are small. Water should be given according to the situation during monsoon. Care should be taken to avoid water logging.