Indischer Spinat

Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter and a warm sunny sheltered position. Prefers a sandy loam. Tolerates fairly poor soils but does much better in rich soils. Tolerates high rainfall. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 7. A frost-tender perennial, it is not hardy outdoors in Britain but can be grown as a spring-sown annual. A fast growing plant, capable of producing a crop within 70 days from seed in a warm climate, though it requires a minimum daytime temperature of 15°c if it is to keep growing vigorously so it seldom does well outdoors in Britain. It does tolerate low light levels plus night temperatures occasionally falling below 10°c, and so can do well in a cold greenhouse. Plants do not flower if the length of daylight is more than 13 hours per day. Widely cultivated for its edible leaves in the tropics, there are some named varieties. It is an excellent hot weather substitute for spinach. Some authorities recognize three different species, B. alba, B. rubra and B. cordifolia, they are all treated here as being part of one species[K]. Production: It is 4-6 weeks until the first harvest. It grows reasonably well on poor soils and is fairly resistant to pest and disease. Leaves will only store for one day at 20-30°C. Yields of 40 kg of leaves from a 10 metre square bed is possible over 75 days. Leaves are plucked from the vine. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season, typically from spring to late autumn, but they are best when young and tender. Basella alba usually flowers in summer, typically from late spring to early summer. Basella alba is a fast-growing vine, often reaching maturity within 60 to 90 days, depending on conditions.

Edible Parts: Leaves Shoots Edible Uses: Colouring Tea Leaves and stem tips - raw or cooked. A pleasant mild spinach flavour, the leaves can be used as a spinach or added to salads. Do not overcook the leaves or they will become slimy. The mucilaginous qualities of the plant make it an excellent thickening agent in soups, stews etc where it can be used as a substitute for okra, Abelmoschatus esculentus. A nutritional analysis of the leaves is available. An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute. The purplish sap from the fruit is used as a food colouring in pastries and sweets. The colour is enhanced by adding some lemon juice.

Dye A red dye is obtained from the juice of the fruits. It has been used as a rouge and also as a dye for official seals. Agroforestry Uses: The plant can be grown on living stakes, usually on a fence or on a hedge[ 617 ]. Ceylon spinach can be used as a ground cover to prevent soil erosion and as a climbing plant to shade other crops. It also enhances biodiversity by attracting beneficial insects. Other Uses The juice of the fruits yields a red dye [ 206 ]. The dye has been used as a rouge, an ink, for colouring foods and also as a dye for official seals[ 218, 299 ]. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen: Yes – The flowers of Basella alba attract pollinators, making them beneficial for local ecosystems. 2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting): Yes, the leaves and stems are edible for humans and various wildlife. The plant’s dense growth can provide some cover for small creatures, but it is not primarily a nesting or roosting site. 3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover): Yes – Basella alba’s foliage can provide some shelter for invertebrates, although it is not specifically known for overwintering sites. 4. Pest Confuser (Smell): No – While it may have some aromatic properties, Basella alba is not primarily recognized for repelling pests or confusing them with its smell.

Heimisch: Africa, BR, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, Caribbean, Complejo Humedales Hato Corozal. Cienaga Zapatosa, Greece [I]; Cape Verde Isl. [I] (Santo Antao Isl. [I], Ilha de Sao Nicolau [I], Ilha de Sao Tiago [I]); Guinea; Sierra Leone; Burkina Faso [I]; Ivory Coast; Togo; Benin; Nigeria; Cameroon; Bioko Isl. [Fernando Poo]; São Tomé; Annobon Isl. [I]; Gabon; Congo [Brazzaville]; Central African Republic; D.R.Congo [Zaire]; Rwanda; Burundi; Chad [I]; South Sudan; Ethiopia; Uganda; Kenya; Tanzania; Angola; Zambia; Malawi; Mozambique; Mauritius [I]; La Réunion [I]; Rodrigues [I]; China [I]; Ryukyu Isl. [I]; Pakistan [I]; Nepal; Bhutan; India [c]; Sri Lanka [c]; Bangladesh; Andaman Isl. [c]; Nicobar Isl. [c]; Myanmar (Bago, Mandalay); Thailand; Laos; Cambodia; Vietnam; South China Sea Isl. [I]; peninsular Malaysia; Sumatra; Borneo; Sulawesi; Philippines; Java; Lesser Sunda Isl. [I] (Bali [I]); Moluccas; Christmas Isl. [Austr.] [I]; New Guinea (Irian Jaya); New Caledonia [I]; Niue [I]; Fiji [I]; Gilbert Isl. [I]; Cook Isl. [I] (Rarotonga [I]); Society Isl. [I] (Moorea [I]); Hawaii [I] (Midway Isl. [I], Oahu [I]); Belize [I]; Honduras [I]; Panama [I]; Bahamas [I]; Cuba [I]; Jamaica [I]; Hispaniola [I]; Puerto Rico [I]; Virgin Isl. [I] (Tortola [I]); Barbuda [I]; St. Lucia [I]; Barbados [I]; Trinidad & Tobago [I]; Colombia [I]; Guyana [I]; Surinam [I]; French Guiana [I]; Ecuador [I]; Peru [I]; Brazil [I], India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Manizales, Middle America, Myanmar, New Guinea, Oceania, Philippines, South America, Southern Asia, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam Eingeführt: AU, Alabama, Andaman Is., Angola, BF, BR, Belize, Benin, Brazil Southeast, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China Southeast, Christmas I., Colombia, Congo, Cook Is., Cuba, Czechia-Slovakia, DR Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, Gabon, Ghana, Gilbert Is., Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Hawaii, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Leeward Is., Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Réunion, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Society Is., South China Sea, Southwest Caribbean, Sudan-South Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, Windward Is., Zambia