Black Pearl Anyone?

From our observation, leaf amaranth (Chinese Spinach) flowers attract many tiny critters, the bad and good garden companion.  There are still many big ladybirds around in our garden now which will be good to control aphids that is trying to stay on our brassicas. 

Growing and collecting Chinese Spinach (bayam) seeds is easy. The male and flower are on the same plant. Pollination is by wind. We are only growing one amaranth variety last warm season. So we hope the seeds that we have collected by open pollination will not be cross hybridised with other amaranth. However, walking at the reserve land at the back of our backyard fence less than 50 metre away, we saw that one of our backyard neighbours has green coloured amaranth bolting as well. So is our amaranth seeds a pure strain or not? I had to do some reasoning;

• Amaranth plant not tall and tall fence can perhaps act as physical barrier.
• Not only one amaranth are blooming but others as well in our garden, so the winds will carry the nearest pollen to the nearest available female which is around our garden.
• I won't know until I tested the seeds, but this mean have to wait until spring.
• Ours are red flowers, neighbours are green flowers which I am hoping that it is not closely related.

What do you think?

Chinese spinach does not required many space to grow which is very suitable for gardeners that have small space to grow. Also looks very ornamental leaving them bolt to collect seeds.

Bolting Chinese amaranth scattered in different containers in this winter month.

I would like to share some of our Chinese Spinach black pearl randomly to 3 person interested to have a go with this plant (just leave a comment). I can't promise that it will be true seeds. However, I think with all the reasoning, it is true Chinese Spinach seeds. So I will be sending different kind of black pearl along such as angled luffa and lemon basil just in case. One plume from Chinese Spinach plant does contain so many seeds.

Ruby Tuesday

Kitaran Hidup Bayam (Chinese Spinach / Leaf Amaranth Life-Cycle)

Bayam is grown for its leaves rather than seeds. Bayam grows well above 20 degree Celcius. New seedlings are very cute and red in colour.  This is natural, not artificial or genetically modified which is very rare compare with the usual green for other vegetables.

Bayam seedlings. They grow very well in container and are very fast-growing, tough and easy-to-grow plant. For good colour leaves, try not to grow them on nutrient-rich compost.

You don’t have to space out bayam so much about 7.5cm apart should be fine. You can harvest bayam as “cut and come again” plant. Make sure there are some leaves at the bottom of the stalk before you cut the top. Bayam leaves limp quickly after harvest. If you have so much bayam leaves you can freeze it by blanching for one minute, chill and drain the water, pack it straight away in the freezer. Can be kept up till 6 months.

Growth 10 days later…

Bayam starting to bolt. In very hot weather, bayam can tolerate partial shade.

Bayam flowers are very interesting. They look like red plumes. They look very pretty and ornamental in containers. These bayam plants were growing together under tomato plants very well in containers. Ignore the background please, it is my experimental sweet potatoes growing in container going crazy.

Can you see bayam seeds? If you have small space and you worry about the space that bayam will need to grow until it is time to harvest the seeds, don’t worry, one plant don’t take much space and it will provide you with at least one year worth of bayam seeds for your garden.

This is one plant that is very fun and easy to harvest the seeds. Just shake the flower and the mature seeds will drop out. It feels like holding a feather duster.

The popular quick way to use bayam is in soup or stir-fry.

How do you like your bayam?

If you like the colour red, join in RUBY TUEASDAY.