i know what you mean with that plant, it is gorgeous!!! did they actually grow it from seed. i keep looking at the british seeds, but they are quite expensive here. i think you might get three to a pack, which is kinda a drag.
Hoe de Hoe
- Thread starter peapod
- Start date
i know what you mean with that plant, it is gorgeous!!! did they actually grow it from seed. i keep looking at the british seeds, but they are quite expensive here. i think you might get three to a pack, which is kinda a drag.
henry take a look at this 
I spent hours here...lets here which
visionary artist is your favorite. I think its ferdinand cheval for me...have you seen it henry????
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/
I spent hours here...lets here which visionary artist is your favorite. I think its ferdinand cheval for me...have you seen it henry????
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/
Yo Dexter, I must introduce to my new favorite vegie I am growing this year Already the vine is 4 ft high and climbing. I don't know if you can grow it where you live, but when it goes to seed I will send some your way if you like.
Family: Basellaceae
Genus: Basella
Species: rubra
DESCRIPTION
Malabar is not a true spinach, but its leaves, which form on a vine, resemble spinach and are used in the same way. It comes from India, and is distributed widely in the tropics, particularly in moist lowlands. In Florida, it is rare, even in home gardens.
CULTURE
Here and in the tropics, it grows well in a variety of soils, seemingly without regard to fertility. Moisture is important and the plants make their best growth during warm, rainy periods. A small amount of shade seems to be beneficial, although open-sun culture does not present a serious problem.
Malabar spinach can be grown from seeds or cuttings. While not essential, the vine should be trellised. Two vines are sufficient to supply a small family all summer and fall. Vines are somewhat ornamental, so can be trained to climb over doorways for easy accessibility. The thick, fleshy leaves are cut off together with some length of stem to keep the plant pruned to a desired shape. Stems that are too tough to eat can be put back in the soil and rerooted. Plants started in Gainesville in August made excellent growth during the fall months.
USE
When cooked, Malabar spinach is not as slick in texture as many greens, such as spinach. The Bengalis cook it with chopped onions, hot chilis, and a little mustard oil.
Its also a awesome looking vine 8)
Already the vine is 4 ft high and climbing. I don't know if you can grow it where you live, but when it goes to seed I will send some your way if you like. Family: Basellaceae
Genus: Basella
Species: rubra
DESCRIPTION
Malabar is not a true spinach, but its leaves, which form on a vine, resemble spinach and are used in the same way. It comes from India, and is distributed widely in the tropics, particularly in moist lowlands. In Florida, it is rare, even in home gardens.
CULTURE
Here and in the tropics, it grows well in a variety of soils, seemingly without regard to fertility. Moisture is important and the plants make their best growth during warm, rainy periods. A small amount of shade seems to be beneficial, although open-sun culture does not present a serious problem.
Malabar spinach can be grown from seeds or cuttings. While not essential, the vine should be trellised. Two vines are sufficient to supply a small family all summer and fall. Vines are somewhat ornamental, so can be trained to climb over doorways for easy accessibility. The thick, fleshy leaves are cut off together with some length of stem to keep the plant pruned to a desired shape. Stems that are too tough to eat can be put back in the soil and rerooted. Plants started in Gainesville in August made excellent growth during the fall months.
USE
When cooked, Malabar spinach is not as slick in texture as many greens, such as spinach. The Bengalis cook it with chopped onions, hot chilis, and a little mustard oil.
Its also a awesome looking vine 8)
that spinach vine you have is awesome! we will all be popeye's by the end of the summer....or olive oil's. ha ha.....yeah, there is also that purple haze bean you can grow. it's got those big purple leaves and the actual beans are long and a deep colour. they are pretty neat too. some amazing stuff you can find for your corners of the world. escapism. simple and pure. :wink:
Thanks pea. I doubt that malabar spinach would grow very well here if it's a tropical plant. Warm rainy periods don't happen here very often. We get warm dry ones, or cold rainy ones, and rarely have more than 120 frost-free days between spring and fall. But maybe if I put it in that well-sheltered spot on the south side of the garage...
I've never heard of this plant. I'll have to do some research to find out if it'll grow around here, sounds like a nice one to have, but it or its seeds certainly wouldn't survive a prairie winter outside. Ah, so I save the seeds and start them indoors; if it's as good as it sounds it'd be worth the trouble.
And now, since it's a nice day, I gotta get back outside to my real life ...
I've never heard of this plant. I'll have to do some research to find out if it'll grow around here, sounds like a nice one to have, but it or its seeds certainly wouldn't survive a prairie winter outside. Ah, so I save the seeds and start them indoors; if it's as good as it sounds it'd be worth the trouble.
And now, since it's a nice day, I gotta get back outside to my real life ...
Yo dexter, check out this story and the photo gallery 8)
http://www.thetyee.ca/Photo/2004/06/23/Getting_Rid_of_the_Box/
http://www.thetyee.ca/Photo/2004/06/23/Getting_Rid_of_the_Box/