Strawberry spinach has in fact little to do with strawberries and more so to do with spinach. This wonderful herb is in fact related to spinach but its berries do not share anything with strawberries other than their color. What's great about strawberry spinach is that you can eat the little berries as well as the leaves. The leaves have a very wild, slightly sweet taste, while the berries are tangy, and therefore make for excellent salad accompaniments. Today we'll teach you how to grow strawberry spinach, also known as strawberry blite. Strawberry spinach can grow wild in North America, part of Europe, and New Zealand. Although it's not widely grown (commercially or otherwise), it's fairly easy to grow in any garden! Let's find out how to grow strawberry spinach and add a little zest to your salads!
How to Grow Strawberry AKA Strawberry Blite
Strawberry spinach is a cold weather crop, but it also does well in heat, as opposed to its cousin spinach. Seeds can be purchased mostly online, but you can also try to find them at your local nursery. You can start planting your strawberry spinach plant in early spring.
Growing Strawberry Spinach:
- Prepare moist soil in an area where there will be full sun. You can also plant in a large pot or container.
- If you live in a cooler climate, plant in early spring so you'll have the leaves in mid-end of spring, and the berries in the summer.
- If you live in a warmer climate, plant in the fall for late fall/early winter leaves and berries in the spring.
- Sow directly in moist soil, about 1-2 inches apart and in rows 16-18 inches apart.
- Water regularly, and your strawberry spinach will grow on its own – not much care required!
- Because it is self-seeding though, it will grow away in the same space, so if you don't want that, you simply have to remove it before the season is over.
Happy Planting!
