Description: These are healthy BRAZILIAN SPINACH - you will get 10 Edible Organically & conscientiously grown & lovingly tended CUTTINGS Approx 4" long - SAMBA LETTUCE also called Sissoo Spinach. (100+ sold See excellent feedback) BOTANICAL NAME: Alternanthera sissoo COMMON NAMES: Poor Man's Spinach , Samba Lettuce, Sissoo Spinach FAMILY: Amaranthaceae ORIGIN: Brazil Imagine a gorgeous green, near pest/problem free plant THAT’S EDIBLE RAW, but can also be sautéed as a side veggie, is delicious, healthy AND is so easy to grow — it fills in areas in your garden that are hard to otherwise fill, or grow fabulously in pots, hanging baskets or in the sides of other plants! One of the best plants I have EVER grown with benefits galore! Right now I have a huge patch under my climbing rose in 4 hrs am sun that’s so lush and beautiful, it fills in hard to fill spots AND U CAN EAT IT!! Brazilian Spinach is also known as Poor man's lettuce, Sissoo Spinach, Sambu or Samba lettuce and is a very hardy, edible, vigorous, beautiful & DELICIOUS perennial ground covering tropical vegetable plant that does so well in the subtropics (zones 8-11). And in other areas in the spring/summer/fall or in pots that you can bring in and overwinter & still harvest!! It sure can be treated as an annual but if you live in temperate no-frost climates, it will grow beautifully throughout the entire year depending on your conditions. Although capable of spreading it is not considered invasive because it doesn’t self seed. It just expands if you want it, if not just cut to where u want to keep it and EAT THE TRIMMINGS! The plant can grow up to 12” tall but mine has never exceeded like 6-7” tall— which I love staying neat and clean and brilliant green. But if allowed to spread-may develop as a gorgeous green creeping ground cover THAT U simply CAN HARVEST AND EAT TO KEEP NEAT— or dig up and share or start in other areas. I have it in pots on patio and have recently moved it to a very shady area and still it’s near perfect. They prefer dappled sun, am sun or bright shade. They will wilt in overhead hot sun & too much full sun & leaves will yellow. This is a wonderful tasting spinach (not earthy like reg spinach)—a bit like fresh lettuce that will survive year round providing an ongoing supply of salad greens that can be eaten raw or cooked. You can even add to smoothies. I just cut off stem end which while completely edible can be a bit stiff in a salad but perfect sautéed. (It is generally recommended to cook it if you will be eating very large amounts of this salad green due to the high oxalate levels that are typical of vegetables of the spinach family). But we love it raw in salad or just lightly sautéed in olive oil as a stand alone side or in frittatas, quiches and so much more! The leaves have a deep dark green, (curly) bubbly like appearance. They are crunchy, with a mild, fresh flavor and does not have any slimy texture as in other varieties of spinach. When it’s happy, it’s a rapidly growing plant that fills in areas with an orderly full “patch” that simply crowds out weeds. Growth accelerates when provided a nitrogen rich soil that remains damp at all times. Hence 50% shade is the best option especially if you plant cuttings directly in the ground. I prefer placing them in a large pot of rich slightly moist soil in semi shade until they take and then transferring into garden. I also have a small patch that is in full sun in SOUTH FLORIDA from 12-4 and they have survive but wilt a lot. Also I love growing this in pots on my patio too because the moisture content can be more effectively controlled and the pot can be placed in ideal locations to provide semi-shaded conditions. Or moved inside before winter up north. Fertilizers can be added as the plant will benefit but I do not, preferring to add organic matter: coffee grinds, cow manure or a little blood meal mixed with a good quality well draining soil & find that is more than adequate to encourage excellent growth. In In my garden, once well established, the plant has become more heat tolerant and even somewhat more drought tolerant and does thrive in part sun. But always seems to grow best in semi-shade in hot humid south Florida. Experimentation in your area may yield slightly different results but worth trying until you find the perfect location in your yard because once you do it’s basically care free and I can’t say enough. It’s beautiful and easy even if you couldn’t eat it— but you can so many ways so expect to harvest and enjoy! it’s a very adaptable plant just keep wet until new growth. They are very very easy once they start to grow. Initially, if putting cuttings directly in ground in a sunny area, a palm frond or shade-cloth should be placed over the young cuttings to ensure that sun does not fry them until roots are well established. Or just start under cover. Samba lettuce roots VERY quickly (sometimes within a 1 to 2 week period) depending on your conditions if kept wet. PLEASE DO NOT PUT DIRECTLY IN GARDEN IF YOUR OUTSIDE TEMP IS BELOW 65 unless you harden off first! germination rate of my healthy organically grown cuttings is almost 100% if you get them and get them right in garden or clean water changed DAILY— but put in ground ONLY IF TEMP ABOVE 65 -must go in clean tepid water—OR have a couple pots of good potting soil sopping wet—pop in, water and set out in garden or bright indoor area if cold outside. Please don’t let them just sit in mailer, they need light. PLANTING DETAILS Grows easily from cuttings anytime in tropical and subtropical climates. Propagate during the wet season or spring in cooler areas. Planting Depth: Cuttings 4”-6” long can be planted three to four to a hole. Strip the leaves off the bottom half of the stems and bury to half their length and just keep very moist! Start in pots in good soil and easily transfer to garden when you see the new growth. When established the cuttings shoot from the roots and quickly form dense clumps. In moist climates this technique can be used to create an edible ground cover. Spacing: Space 6” apart, mulch well. You will receive 4 very healthy organic cuttings. They will be cut fresh when you order, seriously minutes before I send to insure you get the freshest cuttings, the bottom leaves removed for you to expose the nodes and then wrapped in wet paper towel wrapped in plastic wrap to keep your cuttings fresh and moist during transit. I carefully protect the leaves too. When you get them you can put in water for a day or two or more to fully rehydrate & root change water daily—OR just get them right in your pots or in ground. Water well if you plant. It grows all year long for us here in South Florida. I pot up some just in case it’s too hot and wet in our summer and put some under cover. But mostly it does amazing in spite of some challenging super wet, hot weather. This tropical vegetable is vigorous and spreading, and a just joy to have. Everyone who has tried it here—even ones who say they hate spinach, love it. No pesticides ever in my garden, I even use all organic soil amendments. I am not a professional grower, just a passionate, avid gardener who prefers to grow at least part of what we eat. I also sell organic EVERGLADES tomato seeds and just gush about how incredible these are! Smoke free home.
Price: 21 USD
Location: Pompano Beach, Florida
End Time: 2024-09-09T14:10:58.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Climate: Sub-tropical, Tropical
Common Name: Spinach
Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
Color: Green
USDA Hardiness Zone (°F): 8 (10 to 20 °F), 9 (20 to 30 °F), 10 (30 to 40 °F)
Item Length: 4 in
Aspect: West-facing
Soil Type: well draining soil. 50% Peat/50% cow manure ideal
Brand: Unbranded
Soil pH: TOLERANT TO OTHER RANGES BUT 6.5 TO 6.8 IDEAL
Plant Form: Cutting/Leaf
Season of Interest: ANNUAL OR PERENNIAL IN FROST FREE ZONES
Type: Vegetables
Growth Stage: Vegetative
Watering: TOLERANT OF DAMP CONDITIONS/KEEP SOIL MOIST/WET
Genus: ALTERNANTHERA
Number in Pack: 10
Foliage: Evergreen
Sunlight: Grows best in partial shade and as an under-story, Partial Shade
Features: Edible
Safety: Child Safe
Species: Sissoo