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| Hello!
I have several malabar seedlings waiting to be planted, and i'd really love to trellis them on the south side of my house. I've read that the heat reflected off of structures can prove to be too intense for plants, so is this not a good idea, or is malabar spinach heat tolerant enough to take it? I'm thinking once it's established and dense it won't allow the heat to penetrate the wall in the first place, but until then... Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 8, 12 at 9:06
| no direct experience with malabar ... but in this circumstance.. i would plant in fall ... so that the roots could get 'established' .. so as to better cope with the heat and sun ... its an issue of being able to pump enough water .. to withstand the surroundings .... rather than the heat itself ... if that makes any sense ... and i would not throw a babe there ... pot it up.. and grow it to size.. and plant in fall.. is my best suggestions ... or if i had more than one.. wing it and go for it with one.. and baby the other until fall ... who knows .. maybe it will scoff at your concerns .... [i wonder what scoffing spinach sounds like] anything against the wall to deflect the sun would help.. such as an old window screen at an angle ... just long enough for it to take hold .... aka get 'established' NEVER FORGET ... just because you have it.. or buy it.. doesnt not mean it is the proper time to plant it ... coupled with.. babes can not be treated like more mature plants ... all that said.. google says its a tropical vine.. which to me mean jungle.. which means high water.. high humidity ... and indirect bright light .... [just my general culture of the tropics and vines] ... since vines infer .. or imply .. the need to grow under and up something else .... so a brick wall my fry them... you are on the right track ... good luck ken |
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| St. Petersburg Times: "Malabar spinach (Basella alba) loves to climb up a fence or trellis, where it can show off its lovely green or maroon leaves and black, berrylike seeds. Its taste and texture are oh-so-close to table spinach. It is easy to grow from seed, and it roots from cuttings too. It could not be happier in our summers if given full sun and good, fertile soil." It sounds like this one really thrives in temps of about 90, which appears to be your typical summer high. I think your plan should work out fine. Have you incorporated some compost into the bed there if your soil is sandy, will do better in rich soil, and the compost will help to hold some moisture. You might consider mulching after planting too, replenishing as needed. |
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| Malabar spinach is sold as a garden start by some gardening centers here in the spring. I planted some years ago that I started from seed in the spring and have had new plants from self seeding every year since. Mine grows in full sun on my garden fence. It hasn't required any more water than my beans or tomatoes. |
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| You might want to check out this thread. Malabar spinach growing in full sun in San Antonio, Tx. If it can do this well there I'm sure it will be fine just about anywhere else in the US in full sun. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Malabar spinach growing in Texas
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| I just want to add, Malabar spinach is sort of like okra--if you cook it with liquid, it'll get slimy, unlike regular spinach. This can be a good thing if you want to add some greens to a soup and also get some thickening. |
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| Thank you all for taking the time to share your suggestions! |
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