How to Grow New Zealand Spinach

Growing New Zealand Spinach in Your Garden

As summer’s heat arrives, lettuce and spinach begin to wilt under the sun. Smart gardeners begin growing New Zealand Spinach. This green actually prefers warm weather. If you’ve never grown it before, it’s time to learn how to grow New Zealand Spinach and try your first crop. Then, purchase some New Zealand Spinach seeds and get growing. You won’t be disappointed.

Does it surprise you to know that New Zealand Spinach is not “true” spinach? It shares many of the characteristics of true spinach varieties. Also, there are some differences. With that said, it’s perfectly fine, if you refer to these salad greens like spinach.

The two big differences are:

Regular spinach is a cool-weather crop. New Zealand Spinach prefers warm weather.
Regular spinach is hardy, surviving frosts and even freezes. New Zealand spinach is a tender annual and is killed by frost.

In addition, it requires a longer growing period, about 70 days to harvest, versus just 45 to 50 days for regular spinach.

Aside from the differences above, grow New Zealand spinach just like any other true spinach variety. You can use it in the same type of recipes, too.

New Zealand Spinach Plant Specifications

Days to Harvest: 55 to 65 days.

Plant height: One to two feet tall.

Light Needs: Full sun.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5 Ideal Soil pH by vegetable.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 9 – 11

Plant Type: Perennial, often grown as an annual.

Deer Resistant? No.

Native to: Australia and New Zealand.

Botanical Name: Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia

Other Names: Botany Bay Spinach. Cook’s Cabbage

Nutritional Value

Like other types of spinach, New Zealand Spinach is good for you. It has healthy amount on minerals and vitamins. As a result, you should make it a regular part of your diet.

One cup of shredded New Zealand Spinach contains approximately:

8 calories
1.4 g carbs
0 cholesterol
0 g fat
0.8 g fiber
0.8 g protein
73 mg sodium

Planting New Zealand Spinach Seeds

Start plants after the last frost date in your area.

Sow New Zealand Spinach seeds directly into your garden. Plant seeds in rows. Sow seeds 1/2″ to 1″ apart. Cover very lightly, 1/2″ deep, with soil. Final spacing of the plants should be 2″ to 3″ apart. Water lightly and daily for three to five days. Heavy watering can wash the seeds out of the soil or wash them too deeply into the soil. Provide 12″ between rows.

Light Requirement

Unlike regular spinach, New Zealand Spinach is a warm weather crop. As a result, it thrives in sunlight and can deal with the direct rays of the hot summer months in most areas.

Give these plants at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight. For optimal growth, select a planting location where they will receive full sunlight from sunrise to sunset.

How to Grow New Zealand Spinach

Grow plants in full sun. The plants like cool weather and lots of moisture in rich, well-drained soil.

Growing spinach at a fast pace produces the most flavorful, and tender leaves. That means plenty of water and a healthy dose of fertilizer. Keep plants well weeded, too.

TIP: Use succession planting, by sowing a row or partial row every two to three weeks.

When using succession planting, as the plants age and lose their vigor, the next crop is ready to harvest.

Also see:

Plant Problems

Soil Temperatures – Ideal germination temperature by vegetable

Ideal Soil pH – for all vegetables.

Insects and Pests

A variety of insects, and some animals, including rabbits, like spinach. Use a rabbit fence to keep critters out.

For insects, some insecticides can be applied but require several days before you can harvest eat the spinach leaves. We try to avoid insecticides on leafy vegetables wherever possible.

Try organic sprays, and a willingness to give up some of the harvest to insects, overusing pesticides. One reason most of us have gardens is to avoid the potentially harmful pesticides.