Malabar spinach
Basella alba
Also known as: Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach, Vine spinach, Basella, Pui saag
Quick facts
- Category
- leafy greens
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Days to harvest
- 60 to 90 days
- Harvest type
- cut leaves, plant regrows for repeated harvests
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 22–35°C
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.5 to 2.5 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 18 to 28 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 9 to 13 (winter low around -7°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- frost sensitive (dies at first frost)
- Season
- warm (summer crops, frost-sensitive)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- heated greenhouse
- indoor (heated home)
- indoor hydroponics under grow lights
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Malabar spinach works in:
- media bed (ebb and flow)
- wicking bed
- soil bed
- drip / Dutch buckets
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (malabar spinach works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded clay pebbles (LECA) | neutral / inert | low | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.8 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.8 |
Companion-growing notes
- High transpiration. Reservoir level will need regular top-ups during fruiting or flowering.
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
The best leafy green for hot-weather hydroponic production. EC 1.5-2.5 mS/cm. pH 5.5-7.0. Temperature: 25–35°C (tropical; grows vigorously in heat that destroys lettuce and true spinach; dies below 10°C). High light (DLI 16-25 mol/m2/day). Trellis support (2 m) for the climbing vine. DWC, Dutch bucket, or media bed systems. From seed to first harvest: 6-8 weeks. Harvest leaves and tender stem tips continuously; the vine regrows rapidly after cutting. The mucilaginous texture is more pronounced in raw leaves; brief cooking (stir-frying, adding to soup at the last minute) reduces the slipperiness while keeping the leaves tender. The red variety (B. rubra) stains everything purple; use it where the color is welcome. Each vine produces prodigiously in warm conditions, easily supplying daily harvests for weeks. For tropical aquaponics, Malabar spinach is the default leafy green because it thrives in the warm, humid conditions that tilapia systems provide.
Plan a setup with Malabar spinach
Verified against: university-of-florida-ifas, fao-fisheries-aquaculture. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.