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Vegetable (Warm Season) - Salad Greens
Also known as tetragonia, ice plant, everbearing spinach, everlasting spinach, perpetual spinach, Della Nuova Zelanda
Tetragonia tetragonoides
Aizoaceae Family
Synonym: Tetragonia expansa
Used like spinach in cooking and salads, this frost-tender plant is
ready for harvest when spinach is on the wane, and stays productive
throughout summer. Also makes an attractive foliage plant for borders
and beds.
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Site Characteristics
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Sunlight:
Benefits from light shade in midsummer in warm regions.
Soil conditions:
Tolerates a wide range of conditions, but prefers well-drained, sandy
soils, rich in organic matter, pH 6.8 to 7.0. While somewhat
drought-tolerant, flavor is best with consistent moisture.
Special locations:
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Plant Traits
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Lifecycle:
annual
Tender annual.
Ease-of-care:
moderately difficult
Needs to be started inside in much of New York.
Height:
1 to 2 feet
Spread:
1 to 3 feet
Foliage color:
medium green
Foliage texture:
medium
Shape:
spreading mass
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Special Considerations
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Special characteristics:
- not native to North America
- Native to New Zealand, Australia, southern South America, and some Pacific Islands, including Japan.
Special uses:
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Growing Information
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How to plant:
Propagate by
seed
- “Seeds” are actually fruits containing several seeds.
Days to emergence: 14 to 21
- Soak seed 24 hours before planting to speed germination.
Seed can be saved 5 years.
Maintenance and care:
“Seeds” are actually fruits that contain several seeds. Germination is
slow and uneven. Soak seed 24 hours before planting to speed
germination.In
Zone 6 and warmer, direct seed after last frost about ¼ inch deep in
hills spaced about 2 feet apart. Plant 3 seeds in each hill and thin to
the strongest plant. In cooler zones, start seed inside 3 to 4 weeks
before last frost. Transplant about 2 to 3 weeks after last frost. While drought-tolerant, flavor is best with consistent moisture. Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
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