Leafy greens
Malabar spinach
Heat-loving edible vine with succulent leaves.
Sowing & planting windows in Australia
Planting timing varies by broad Australian gardening zone. Local weather, unusual seasons and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing.
Cool
Sow direct / transplant seedlings · Nov–Jan
Core months: January, November, December
Temperate
Sow direct / transplant seedlings · Oct–Feb
Core months: January, February, October, November, December
Subtropical
Sow direct / transplant seedlings · Sep–Mar
Core months: January, February, March, September, October, November, December
Tropical
Sow direct / transplant seedlings · All year
Core months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Arid
Sow direct / transplant seedlings · Oct–Dec
Core months: October, November, December
Getting started
Direct sow in warm soil or transplant seedlings beside a support.
The right conditions
Warm humid conditions, fertile soil and regular moisture; frost is damaging.
As it grows
Train climbing stems, tip-prune to branch and water during dry periods.
Ready to harvest
Pick young leaves and shoot tips frequently.
Important cautions
Use only correctly identified Basella; texture becomes mucilaginous when cooked.
Plant guidance: Desk-reviewed under the approved horticultural-synthesis method; not field-tested. Planting windows are a guide rather than a rule.