How to Grow Chinese Spinach (Amaranthus)
Instruction & Advice for Growing Chinese Spinach
in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
Chinese Spinach is a very colorful vegetable species, and very nutritional too. It is also known as bhaji and callaloo. It will grow up to 3 feet tall, so place it strategically in your garden (so it doesn't block sunlight from smaller plants). The leaves grow to approx 6” with a flavor that's a bit like artichoke. As the plant ages, it tends to get a bit spicy. The more mature the plant, the spicier (hotter) the flavor.
Chinese Spinach is a good choice for container gardening, and is actually a nice decorative addition. For more information review: container gardening.
Nutrition Information: (back to top)
Chinese Spinach provides: dietary fiber, protein, vitamins E, A and C, iron and potassium.
Climate & Growing Conditions: (back to top)
Chinese Spinach will grow best in hot climates (above 68 degrees).
This vegetable prefers a sunny position sheltered from winds in cool areas. It will tolerate partial shade in hot areas.
Chinese Spinach will bolt (go to seed) if the garden soil dries out in hot weather, so keep this plant well watered. If it bolts, remove any flowers and seed heads that appear.
How to Prepare the Garden Soil: (back to top)
Chinese Spinach likes to grow in well-drained garden soils. The soil needs to be slightly acidic, for optimal growth and plant health.
Prepare the gardening bed ahead of time by digging in compost and well-rotted manures. If the beds are well prepared this way, you shouldn't need to do any other fertilizing.
How to Plant: (back to top)
Sow chinese spinach seed directly into garden beds, when the soil is at least 68 degrees (F). Successive sowings ever other week will give you a longer harvest period.
Dig your rows so that they're 1 foot apart. After the seedlings appear, thin them 4” apart. Seedlings appear within 3 weeks. Young growth cuttings can be taken from lateral shoots which have not yet flowered.
How to Water: (back to top)
To grow well, chinese spinach needs soil that is constantly moist. Water frequently.
How to Fertilize: (back to top)
If your garden bed was prepared as mentioned above, no extra fertilizing is needed. Otherwise, apply an occasional dose of liquid nitrogen fertilizer.
Gardening Challenges: (back to top)
If you're gardening in warmer climates, caterpillars and stem borer may be a problem.
Gardening Advice Tip: Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Harvest: (back to top)
Chinese spinach takes approximately 8 weeks to reach harvesting size.
There are several ways to harvest this vegetable. The tips of larger plants can be picked while young, or the whole plant can be pulled from the ground once the plant reaches about 10" in height.
Or, you can cut the mature plant back to 1” above the ground level. Leave a bit of teh stem and a few of the botom leaves, to help encourage the plant to grow again.
Storage: How to freeze Chinese Spinach (back to top)
Wash and trim leaves off stalks. Blanch for 1 minute in boiling water. Chill in iced water for 1 minute. Drain, pack in freezer bags, remove air from bags, seal and label. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Gardening Advice Tips (back to top)
Have a helpful gardening tip (or even a fun story) to share about your chinese spinach growing experience? Share it with us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
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