New Zealand Spinach

New Zealand Spinach: variety and characteristics

New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is an annual vegetable of the Aizoaceae family. New Zealand spinach is unrelated to common spinach; it is a pleasant and interesting alternative with fleshy, green leaves that can be picked repeatedly until autumn arrives.

It is a spreading, somewhat bushy plant that can be given enough room to develop.

It is easily grown as an annual and cooked like spinach. Reaches up to 30 cm. tall.

New Zealand spinach is a heat-loving substitute for spinach – it does not bolt in summer and gives succulent leaves until autumn.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 85%
• Seeds per packet: 23–32 pcs (2 g)
• Seed origin: Netherlands
• Sowing: August and September; direct or transplants
• Harvest: October and November
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow New Zealand Spinach

New Zealand Spinach seeds are sown in August and September. Harvest in October and November. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow New Zealand Spinach

• Sowing method: direct or seedlings
• Depth: 1–2 cm
• Spacing: 50–60 cm
• Germination: 14–21 days at 20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Since New Zealand spinach loves heat, temperatures must be quite warm before you can sow seeds directly outdoors. For an autumn harvest, sow in August–September and harvest in October–November. Choose a place in the garden where the plants will have room to spread. If you want your plants to reseed and return every year, plant your seeds or seedlings in a spot where they will not get in the way of other plants once they start to grow. The plants need about 55 to 60 days to mature. Make sure your garden receives at least eight hours of sun a day. Plant New Zealand spinach in nutrient-rich, well-draining soil (remember that these are drought-tolerant plants). It is good if the soil is a little sandy. Feed the rows of plants with compost. Sow seeds 7.5 to 10 cm apart. apart in rows. To give the plants room to grow, you may want to thin them further to about 30.5 cm. apart. Do not let these young plants die. If you find that some seeds have not germinated, sow additional seeds in the spaces that have been left bare. Spring sowings are made from late February to early March and harvested in April–May.

Soak the seeds for 24 hours. Sow after the last frosts.

Harvest and use

Pick the tips with the young leaves – the plant branches.

Frequently asked questions

When should New Zealand Spinach be sown?

The recommended sowing months are August and September. Sowing method: direct or seedlings.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 23–32 seeds, pack size 2 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 85%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.