Vegetable Seeds

Not a true spinach. It provides a large amount of leaves for salads and cooked greens in mid-summer. Once it is established it is vigorous and trouble-free. The flavour is better if the plants have some shade from the sun. Pick the leaves and young shoots of this trailing plant regularly to lengthen the harvest. New Zealand Spinach is perennial in mild winters. Quite difficult to germinate so the seeds need to be soaked in warm water to soften the shell and then need to be sown in a warm area for germination.

Chenopodium giganteum (Magenta Spreen, Purple Goosefoot, Giant Lambsquarters is a very large annual leafy vegetable that grows over 8 feet tall. It is also known as Tree Spinach, though native to mountainous regions of India, it is easily cultivated other areas. It is a leafy green which tastes like very much like chard or spinach with a hint of asparagus when cooked. The best-tasting parts of the plant are the tender growing tips, which can be harvested continuously. Since the plant contains oxalic acid, it should be cooked in a steel pan, not in aluminum. This plant has edible seeds which can be cooked or ground into flour. The plant contains vitamins A, C, and K, and calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. The plant grows well in full sun or partial shade. It is resistant to many pests and is easy to grow.

It tends to grow upright at first, reaching heights of 10–150 cm (rarely to 3 m), but typically becomes recumbent after flowering (due to the weight of the foliage and seeds) unless supported by other plants. The leaves are alternate and can be varied in appearance. In India, the plant is popularly called bathua and found abundantly in the winter season. The leaves and young shoots of this plant are used in dishes such as soups, curries, and paratha-stuffed breads, especially popular in Punjab. The seeds or grains are used in phambra or laafi, gruel-type dishes in Himachal Pradesh, and in mildly alcoholic fermented beverages such as soora and ghanti.