Malabar Spinach Seeds (Poi Saag)

How To Grow Malabar Spinach From Seeds:

• Introduction and Uses: This plant comes with a mild, pleasant hint of spinach. It provides a good amount of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C, along with calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. It is chewed to relieve mouth ulcers. The cooked roots of Malabar Spinach are beneficial to curb diarrhoea, while the leaves and stems are cooked when a mild, effective laxative is required. Currently, it is examined if Malabar spinach could provide a remedy for infertility.
• Botanical Name: Basella alba
• Sowing Season: Throughout the year. Best grown in summer.
• Sowing method: Sow the seeds directly in raised beds or containers.
• Sowing container: Use a shallow container with a minimum depth of 5 inches & bigger spread area (according to available space & requirement) like trays or crates.
• Sowing medium:  Cocopeat, Oasis cubes

STEPS FOR SEED SOWING (SEED STARTING) IN A CONTAINER:

• Select a container with uniform drainage holes at the bottom.
• Fill the container with selected growing medium.

Spacing:

• Make shallow holes (1 cm) at a distance of 3 x 3 inches throughout the surface of the soil medium.
• Sow 2-3 seeds per hole.
• Push the seeds little in the soil medium with your fingers & cover them completely with the surrounding soil.
• Water the sown seedbed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.
• If seeds are planted in outdoor raised beds, protect them from heavy rain or direct sunlight by making a temporary roof plastic sheet for the first few days.

GROWTH STAGES OF MALABAR SPINACH PLANT:

Germination: Seeds will germinate within the first six days or even much earlier & tiny seedlings will be visible with first leaves.

Thinning:

• If more than one seed has germinated per hole, cut off the smaller seedlings & only keep one seedling per hole.
• Baby Malabar Spinach plants will be visible in 10-15 days.
• Mature leaves will be ready to harvest in 30-40 days.

HOW TO TAKE CARE FOR MALABAR SPINACH PLANT:

• Sunlight: Malabar Spinach requires partial sunlight (3-4 hours) in summer & it can withstand full sunlight in winters. So place your containers accordingly.
• Watering: Water your Malabar Spinach container / raised bed every day in the form of a light shower with a watering can. Sprinklers can be placed outdoors.
• Manuring: As mentioned earlier, add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio before sowing seeds. organic fertilizer can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, compost, or vermicompost.
• Plant care: Always look for the early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms of such diseases are spotted.
• Microgreens: If you plan to grow microgreens Malabar Spinach. Grow it indoors in flat containers. Sow-scatter the seeds in a crowded manner. You can harvest it in 10-15 days by uprooting the baby plants.
• Harvesting: About 30-40 days after sowing, Malabar Spinach can be harvested by cutting the mature leaves using a scissor and leaving the tender growing base of the plant for the next harvest. You can keep harvesting Malabar Spinach as long as the plant survives.