Grow your own warrigal greens

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For a bush food you can plant then harvest in only a few weeks, give warrigal greens a go. This was another plant I thought I didn’t have room for at my place, so I used to pick them from my parents’ property. Then I discovered that they can be grown in a pot, as long as you don’t mind them sprawling out over the paving. They are not the neatest plants, but if you pick a tall pot you can make a feature of their rambling habit. They are hardy but if you want lush and tender leaves, you’ll need to keep your plant well watered and provide fertile soil. They are a great little plant to start you on your bush foods adventure.

Description

Also called New Zealand Spinach or Botany Bay spinach, Warrigal Greens are native to both Australia and New Zealand. They have a sprawling habit around 50cm high, and trailing around 1-2 meters long. Growing along the waterways and in the sand near beaches, they have triangular, fleshy leaves and small insignificant pale yellow flowers from September to February.

Growing tips

Plant your seeds in spring and summer, and in autumn in warm frost-free areas. Soil temperatures of 18-35 degrees celsius are best. Soak seeds for 1-2 hours before sowing, and then plant in seed trays around two and a half times the diameter of the seed.

Once established, plant around 60cm apart in the ground, or in a medium to large pot. Your leaves will be ready to harvest in around 8 to 10 weeks. Plants will self-sow and this is a great opportunity to pot up some seedlings and give them away to friends. You can also grow plants from cuttings but I’ve always found them so easy to grow from seed that I’ve never needed to try this approach.

Warrigal greens are long-lived in temperate areas and enjoy full sun and well-drained soil. In arid areas you will need to provide shade. They will survive sea-spray in coastal gardens and are rarely affected by disease or pest issues.

Harvesting

You can harvest your Warrigal Greens all year round by picking young leaves and growing tips. Remember that it is illegal to take plants from National Parks, State Forests or Nature Reserves. Leaves will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Uses

Like silverbeet, leaves contain oxalic acidic and this can cause kidney stones and affect the absorption of calcium so it’s important to blanch leaves (not just steam) to remove most of the oxalic acid before eating. Don’t drink the water you blanch them in because the oxalic acid will dissolve into the water. Use in a quiche, frittata, omelette or stir-fry.

Warrigal greens contain high levels of vitamin C and they were used by early European explorers and settlers to fight scurvy. Indigenous Australians also ate them, although the extent to which is unknown. It is used by many Australian chefs as a regular ingredient in their dishes, including Kylie Kwong’s dumplings.

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Where can you buy seeds?

Online seed stores are a great place to purchase your seeds or ask around your friends to see if anyone has some you could do a swap for. You could also join a local savers group or your local community garden.

Enjoy munching on your native spinach and please share any recipes you experiment with.

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6 thoughts on “Grow your own warrigal greens

  1. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I would like advice on how to grow them from cuttings please,if possible, Lyn

    1. Hi Lyn,
      I’ve always just grown warrigal greens from seed because they self-seed and we end up with so many however I am interested in your question. One approach you could try is layering one of the stems by placing a stem across a pot filled with potting mix at one of the nodes and gently holding it there with a pebble (or similar) until it grows roots then snipping it off from the parent plant with secateurs. If this is not possible, try approaching it as a soft-wooded cutting. 
      Using your secateurs cut some currents seasons growth just under a node around 10cm in length. Trim the leaves by half to prevent water loss. If you like, you can apply a weak hormone solution (avoid touching this) or some honey. Use a dibber to make a hole in your pot (use anything clean that will create a hole – a old chopstick works well) then place your cutting in and gently firm it down. You can fit a few in each pot. Water in. If you have a clear plastic bag you can re-use, then put that over the top to create a terrarium effect and tie it with a piece of string. 
      Let me know how you go 🙂 Anna

    1. Hi Poppy, It would propagate best in growing media but if you have spare cuttings test it out as an experiment. Just wait until spring when it is a bit warmer because she will have better success. Are you wanting to propagate warrigal greens or are you trying to find plants you could propagate in water?

  2. I have had two cuttings in water for about two months. They will not grow roots! They look like they are dying, then they pick up, then look like they are dying again etc. so today I’ve dipped them in plant cutting powder and put outside in a pot! Let’s see if they grow now!!

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