What is the difference between real strawberry spinach and spicy 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 leaf vegetable is unfortunately only known to a few today. A shame, because the vegetables not only score with their unusual appearance, but also shine thanks to their uncomplicated cultivation and high nutritional content.
contents
- Strawberry spinach: characteristics and origin
- The types of strawberry spinach
-
Growing strawberry spinach: this is important to note
- The right location for strawberry spinach
- This is how you sow strawberry spinach
- Care of strawberry spinach
- Propagating strawberry spinach: this is how it works
- Is strawberry spinach hardy?
- Harvest strawberry spinach
- storage
Strawberry spinach: characteristics and origin
The strawberry spinach (Blitum virgatum or Blitum capitatum) belongs to the foxtail family (Amaranthaceae). Even if the strawberry spinach is rather unknown, there are many familiar faces in its relatives: In addition to its namesake, the Real spinach (Spinacia oleracea), the strawberry spinach is also made with quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) related. 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 strawberry spinach are visually (if not in terms of taste) very reminiscent of strawberries. Its green to light green leaves resemble those of spinach with their triangular and deeply toothed shape only removed, but prepared in a similar way to this one, so that the second part of the name is also easy to explain leaves.
The herbaceous, usually annual cultivated plant reaches heights of 20 to 60 centimeters with bare, upright stems and a basal rosette of leaves. Strawberry spinach leaves are a tasty and nutritious addition to the kitchen. However, it is often not only grown as food - thanks to its striking red fruits, strawberry spinach is also a popular ornamental plant for the garden or balcony.
Little is known about the origin of strawberry spinach: Today it is assumed that the plant originally from Asia Minor and the Orient and passed through the Moors across southern Europe, particularly Spain came to us. Unfortunately, the leafy vegetables could not fully assert themselves here. Although it was grown in cottage gardens as an ornamental and useful plant for a few centuries, it was then increasingly replaced by real spinach. After all, strawberry spinach completely disappeared from our menu around a hundred years ago. After that, the pretty useful plant was almost forgotten - fortunately, it can still be found in German gardens today, albeit rarely. In particular, the rediscovery of old vegetable varieties in recent years has helped strawberry spinach to gain new fame. Meanwhile, some seed traders 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 north-west Africa, in western Eurasia and rarely in the Mediterranean area.
The types of strawberry spinach
Two types are distinguished under the umbrella term strawberry spinach:
- The real strawberry spinach (Blitum virgatum)
- The spiked strawberry spinach (Blitum capitatum).
Both types are closely related to each other. Although they have visual differences, they are almost identical in taste and preparation. You can recognize real strawberry spinach (Blitum virgatum) from the fact that it is generally larger in growth and the fruits are distributed over the stem in the leaf axes. In contrast, the fruits of spicy strawberry spinach are clustered on a false ear. Unlike real strawberry spinach, 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 almost exclusively divided into the two types mentioned above to this day.
Growing strawberry spinach: this is important to note
Growing strawberry spinach is not difficult - on the contrary: strawberry spinach can be grown in almost any garden because it is equally suitable for growing in the bed as well as in the planter on the terrace or the Balcony. The ground spinach is particularly interesting for them Mixed culture: Between potato or runner beans, it is not only a real eye-catcher in your garden, it also protects the soil from erosion and makes optimal use of the available space. In addition, the real strawberry spinach has proven to be an ideal neighbor for spring onions, the spiked strawberry spinach as a good intermediate culture for celery.
The right location for strawberry spinach
Full sun locations are perfect if you want to cultivate strawberry spinach. In most cases, however, partially shaded locations are also suitable for growing strawberry spinach. When choosing the location for the strawberry spinach, the right water supply is particularly important Pay attention: Strawberry spinach does not like high temperatures or drought, but waterlogging also closes it create. The ideal location is therefore a humus, deep, loamy-sandy soil in which no waterlogging occurs. In addition, when growing strawberry spinach, attention should always be paid to a diverse crop rotation: In order to maintain the vitality of the soil, should Strawberry spinach and its relatives from the foxtail family (spinach, Swiss chard, beetroot) are not always planted in the same location will. If possible, foxtail plants should be sown in a different location every year, otherwise one location should be used for cultivation for a maximum of three years in a row.
This is how you sow strawberry spinach
The sowing of strawberry spinach outdoors ideally takes place between March and June. Dates for sowing until August are also possible, but this increases the risk of early flowers. Since the strawberry spinach is one of the Dark germs counts, it is particularly important for reliable germination to ensure that the seeds are sunk deep enough (about 2-3 cm) into the soil. We recommend distances of 25-30 cm between the individual plants, in the row 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 a garden fleece until the risk of late frosts is over.
Strawberry spinach thrives optimally when it finds the right soil conditions: loose, sandy-loamy and deep soil is ideal. If the garden cannot offer this, it is advisable to cover the existing soil with a high-quality potting soil, for example the Plantura organic universal soilto upgrade. Very heavy, clayey soils should also be mixed with around a third of sand so that the water can drain off well over the long term.
If you want to harvest your strawberry spinach earlier, you can prefer it in the house from March onwards. To do this, three to four seeds of the strawberry spinach are placed in a small pot with a diameter of at least 8 cm. A potting soil like this is ideal for growing strawberry spinach Plantura organic herbs & compost, as this is loose and rather poor in nutrients, which optimally supports the root growth of the small plants. The room temperature during germination should be between 16 ° C and 22 ° C throughout the day. After germination, there are two options for strawberry spinach: If late frosts are no longer expected outside, the plants can move to their new home in the bed. The above-mentioned distances must of course be maintained in order to ensure ideal development and to avoid infestation with powdery mildew. If it is still too cold or if the strawberry spinach is then to be cultivated in buckets, you can Put leaf vegetables in tuffs of 3-4 plants in small pots with universal soil and continue here maintain.
Care of strawberry spinach
Strawberry spinach is generally considered to be very easy to care for. Nevertheless, there are a few points you should pay attention to if you want to take care of your plants as well as possible: A sufficient supply of nutrients is essential for a high-yield and profitable crop. For example, preparing the soil by mixing in compost has proven itself and is usually sufficient. If you do not have compost available for fertilization, you can also use an organic fertilizer, such as the Plantura organic universal fertilizer, use for nutrient supply. Organic fertilizers have the advantage that they have a natural long-term effect and can provide the plants with nutrients as required.
As with most leafy vegetables, strawberry spinach does not need to be cut regularly; instead, the leaves are separated off during harvest.
The maintenance of strawberry spinach also includes a regular supply of water: especially when it is hot Temperatures, it is necessary to water the strawberry spinach sufficiently to keep the leaves as tender as possible keep. Mornings and evenings are ideal times for watering, as this is where the temperature is lowest, so that little water evaporates. Occasional chopping 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 indicates it as follows: Young leaves stay green a little longer, while older leaves evenly lighten and even turn yellow will. Such a deficiency should be dealt with quickly with a quick-acting fertilizer, such as our liquid fertilizer Plantura organic green plant fertilizerto be balanced.
Propagating strawberry spinach: this is how it works
Buying 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:
- The strawberry spinach's own gathering: Your own seeding is particularly easy - some plants are simply not cut, but allowed to grow until they are ready for seeds. 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 everywhere in the area next spring.
- Obtaining the seeds from the fruits: If you want to avoid uncontrolled propagation of strawberry spinach or if you want to plant it in another place in the next year, you should remove ripe fruits in good time. But instead of throwing away the red balls, these can also be used to obtain seeds. The seeds are now thoroughly freed from the pulp and stored in a dark, dry, cool place where they await their next use.
Is strawberry spinach hardy?
In contrast to its close relative, spinach, strawberry spinach is often not hardy in our latitudes. Although there are cases in which strawberry spinach survives temperatures down to -10 ° C and sprouts again in spring, the plant is usually grown as an annual crop in Germany. In contrast, the seeds, especially when self-sowing, can easily grow the colder ones Withstand temperatures in the bed and begin to germinate in the next year if there is enough soil are covered.
Harvest strawberry spinach
Two to three months after sowing, the time has finally come - the strawberry spinach harvest is due. 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 with a sharp knife about 30 cm above the ground. This then sprouts again so that it can be harvested again a few weeks later. Incidentally, the aroma and nutritional content of strawberry spinach are best when the plant is not yet in bloom. The ideal time to harvest spinach leaves is therefore just before flowering.
storage
The harvest has come in and the strawberry spinach is ready for the kitchen. But what now? The storage of strawberry spinach in particular poses a challenge for many: If the leaves are stored in the kitchen, they quickly become limp and unappetising. 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 refrigerator. This way, the leaves can be stored for another five to six days.
Strawberry spinach can be used in many ways in the kitchen: The leaves are prepared like real spinach, for example served steamed as a vegetable garnish. But strawberry spinach is also very popular as an insert in soup, a filling for 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 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 dishes. On the other hand, they are well suited as a colorful, edible decoration, for example to top off a strawberry spinach salad.
In terms of nutritional content, strawberry spinach is superior to real spinach. Above all, it scores with a high proportion of vitamin C, iron and trace elements. People with kidney problems or rheumatism should, however, refrain from taking strawberry spinach: the oxalic acid it contains can be harmful in large quantities.
Would you like to find out more about unusual and old vegetables? You will find many interesting and well-tried types of vegetables in our article "10 almost forgotten vegetables“.