What is the difference between strawberry spinach and strawberry spinach? How does the cultivation of strawberry spinach work and what should be considered when harvesting? You can read this and more in our special article.
Strawberry spinach - this almost forgotten leafy vegetable is unfortunately only known to a few today. Too bad, because the vegetable not only scores with an extraordinary appearance, but also shines thanks to its uncomplicated cultivation and high nutrient content.
Strawberry spinach: properties and origin
The strawberry spinach (Blitum virgatum or Blitum capitatum) belongs to the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae). Even if strawberry spinach is relatively unknown, there are many familiar faces in its family: in addition to its namesake, spinach (Spinacia oleracea), strawberry spinach is also made with quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa) and beetroot (Beta vulgaris). But where does the unusual name of strawberry spinach come from? In fact, a look at the plant can quickly explain the name: the bright red fruits of the strawberry spinach are visually (though not tastefully) reminiscent of strawberries. Its green to light green leaves, with their triangular and deeply serrated shape, only remotely resemble those of spinach, but they are prepared in a similar way, so that the second part of the name can also be easily explained.
The herbaceous, mostly annual plant grows to a height of 20 to 60 centimeters with bare, erect stems and a basal rosette of leaves. The leaves of the strawberry spinach make a tasty and nutritious addition to the kitchen. However, it is often not only grown for food - thanks to its striking red fruits, the strawberry spinach is also a popular ornamental plant for the garden or balcony.
Only little is known about the origin of strawberry spinach: today it is assumed that the plant originally came from Asia Minor and the Orient and came to us through the Moors via southern Europe, especially Spain. Unfortunately, the leafy greens failednot fully enforced here. Although it was cultivated in cottage gardens as an ornamental and useful plant for a few centuries, it was then increasingly replaced by spinach. Strawberry spinach finally disappeared from our menus about a hundred years ago. After that, the pretty useful plant almost fell into oblivion - but fortunately it can still be found in German gardens, albeit rarely. In particular, the rediscovery of old types of vegetables in recent years has helped strawberry spinach to gain new popularity. In the meantime, some seed retailers also offer strawberry spinach seeds (some of them also in organic quality). As a wild plant, strawberry spinach is only found in the mountains of Northwest Africa, in western Eurasia and rarely in the Mediterranean area.
Types of Strawberry Spinach
A distinction is made between two types of strawberry spinach:
- The Strawberry Spinach (Blitum virgatum)
- Strawberry Spinach (Blitum capitatum).
Both species are closely related. Although they have visual differences, they are almost identical in taste and preparation. You can recognize real strawberry spinach (Blitum virgatum) by the fact that it grows larger overall and the fruits are distributed over the stalk in the leaf axes. In the case of spiked strawberry spinach, on the other hand, the fruits are bundled on a false ear. In contrast to the real strawberry spinach, the spiked strawberry spinach probably does not come from the Orient, but from North America, and is still found there today. Due to the low economic importance of strawberry spinach in commercial cultivation, different varieties were never bred. For this reason, strawberry spinach is still almost exclusively divided into the two types mentioned above.
Growing strawberry spinach: This is what you need to know
The cultivation of strawberry spinach is not difficult - on the contrary: strawberry spinach can be cultivated in almost any garden, because it is equally suitable for cultivation in beds as well as in planters on the terrace or balcony. The ground spinach is particularly interesting for mixed cultures: between potato or runner beans, it is not only a real eye-catcher in your garden, but also protects the soil from erosion and makes optimal use of the available space. In addition, the real strawberry spinach has proven to be idealNeighbor for spring onions, the spiked strawberry spinach proved a good cover crop for celery.
The right location for strawberry spinach
Full sun is perfect if you want to cultivate strawberry spinach. But in most cases, partially shaded locations are also suitable for growing strawberry spinach. When choosing the location for the strawberry spinach, particular attention must be paid to the right water supply: Although the strawberry spinach does not like high temperatures or drought, waterlogging also causes problems for it. A humus-rich, deep, loamy-sandy soil in which there is no waterlogging is therefore optimal as a location. In addition, when cultivating strawberry spinach, care should always be taken to ensure a diverse crop rotation: In order to maintain the vitality of the soil, strawberry spinach and its relatives from the foxtail family (spinach, chard, beetroot) should not always be planted in the same location. If possible, foxtail plants should be sown in a different location each year, otherwise one location should be used for cultivation for a maximum of three years in a row.
How to sow strawberry spinach
The ideal time to sow strawberry spinach outdoors is between March and June. Dates for sowing into August are also possible, but this increases the risk of early flowering. Since strawberry spinach is one of the dark germinators, it is particularly important for reliable germination to ensure that the seeds are planted sufficiently deep (about 2-3 cm) into the soil. Between the individual plants we recommend a distance of 25-30 cm, in rows of 15 cm - so each plant has enough space to develop. If there is a risk of late frosts, for example when sowing particularly early in March, it is advisable to also pay attention to frost protection. It has proven useful to cover the bed with garden fleece until the danger of late frosts has passed.
The strawberry spinach thrives optimally when it finds the right soil conditions: A loose, sandy-loamy and deep soil is ideal. If the garden cannot offer this, it is advisable to upgrade the existing soil with a high-quality potting soil, such as Plantura organic universal soil. Very heavy, clayey soils should also be mixed with about a third of sand so that water can drain off well over the long term.
If you want to harvest your strawberry spinach earlier, you can bring it indoors from March. To do this, put three to four seeds of the strawberry spinach in a small pot with a diameter of at least 8 cm. A potting soil such as Plantura Organic Herbs & Seed Soil is ideal for growing strawberry spinach, as it is loose and rather low in nutrients, which optimally supports the root growth of the small plants. Room temperature during germination should be between 16°C and 22°C throughout the day. After germination, there are two options for the strawberry spinach: if late frosts are no longer to be expected outside, the plants can move to their new home in the bed. Of course, the above-mentioned distances must be maintained in order to ensure ideal development and to avoid mildew infestation. If it is still too cold or if the strawberry spinach is then to be cultivated in tubs, you can transplant the leafy vegetables in tuffs of 3-4 plants into small pots with universal soil and continue to cultivate them there.
Caring for Strawberry Spinach
Strawberry spinach is generally considered to be very easy to care for. Nevertheless, you should consider a few points if you want to take care of your plants as well as possible: A sufficient supply of nutrients is absolutely necessary for a high-yield and worthwhile crop. For example, preparing the soil by mixing in compost has proven itself and is usually sufficient. If you don't have any compost available for fertilizing, you can alternatively use an organic-based fertilizer, such as the Plantura organic universal fertilizer, to supply nutrients. Organic fertilizers have the advantage that they have a natural long-term effect and can provide nutrients to the plants as needed.
Like most leafy greens, strawberry spinach doesn't need regular pruning, instead the leaves are separated at harvest. The care of strawberry spinach also includes the regular supply of water: Especially in hot temperatures, it is necessary to water the strawberry spinach sufficiently to keep the leaves as tender as possible. Mornings and evenings are ideal times for watering, since the temperature is lowest here, meaning that little water evaporates. Occasional hoeing between the plants and removing weeds also have a positive effect on development.Tip: Strawberry spinach is very sensitive to a lack of nitrogen in the soil and shows this as follows: Young leavesremain green a little longer, while older ones lighten evenly and even turn completely yellow. Such a deficiency should be quickly compensated with a fast-acting fertilizer, such as our liquid Plantura organic green plant fertilizer.
Grow strawberry spinach: This is how it works
Buy new strawberry spinach seeds every year? It doesn't have to be. If you want to avoid buying new seeds every year, you even have two options for propagating strawberry spinach yourself:
- Seed the strawberry spinach yourself: It is particularly easy to make your own seed - some plants are simply not cut, but allowed to grow until the seeds are ripe. Since the strawberry spinach is considered to be particularly strong sowing, numerous seeds are distributed over the characteristic fruits in the area. As a result, numerous new plants will grow nearby next spring.
- Getting the seeds out of the fruit: If you want to avoid uncontrolled propagation of strawberry spinach or want to plant it somewhere else next year, you should remove ripe fruit in good time. But instead of throwing away the red balls, they can also be used to produce seeds. The seed is now thoroughly freed from the pulp and stored in a dark, dry, cool place, where it awaits its next use.
Is strawberry spinach hardy?
In contrast to its close relative, the spinach, the strawberry spinach is often not hardy in our latitudes. Although there are cases in which strawberry spinach survives temperatures down to -10 °C and sprout again in spring, the plant is usually cultivated in Germany as an annual crop. In contrast, the seeds, especially when self-sowing, can easily withstand the colder temperatures in the bed and begin to germinate the next year if covered with sufficient soil.
Harvest Strawberry Spinach
Two to three months after sowing, the time has finally come - the harvest of the strawberry spinach is about to begin. As with spinach, strawberry spinach (depending on when it was sown) can be harvested again and again throughout the summer up to September. Either individual leaves are plucked off as required or the entire shoot is cut off about 30 cm above the ground with a sharp knife. This drivesthen off again so that it can be harvested again a few weeks later. Incidentally, the flavor and nutritional content of strawberry spinach is at its best when the plant is not yet in bloom. The ideal time to harvest leaf spinach is therefore just before flowering.
Storage
The harvest is in and the strawberry spinach is ready for the kitchen. But what now? Storing strawberry spinach in particular poses a challenge for many: If the leaves are stored in the kitchen, they quickly become limp and unappetizing. If you want to prevent this, you should either use the strawberry spinach immediately after harvesting or wrap it in damp kitchen paper and put it in the fridge. In this way, the leaves can be stored for another five to six days.
The use of strawberry spinach in the kitchen is versatile: The leaves are prepared like real spinach, for example steamed as a vegetable side dish. But strawberry spinach is also very popular as an ingredient in soup, filling for puff pastries or as a quiche. The young leaves are particularly tender and can therefore also be eaten raw, for example in a wild herb salad. Even if the colorful fruits are visually reminiscent of strawberries or raspberries, they are rarely used in the kitchen. Although they are not poisonous, their taste is generally described as bland and similar to that of beetroot, which is why they are rarely used in the preparation of dishes. On the other hand, they are well suited as a colourful, edible decoration, for example to top off a strawberry spinach salad.
In terms of nutritional content, however, strawberry spinach is superior to spinach. It scores particularly well with a high proportion of vitamin C, iron and trace elements. However, people with kidney problems or rheumatism should be careful with strawberry spinach: the oxalic acid it contains can be harmful in high quantities.
Would you like to learn more about unusual and old types of vegetables? You can find many interesting and well-tried types of vegetables in our article "10 almost forgotten types of vegetables".