How to Grow New Zealand Spinach UK

When to Plant New Zealand Spinach in the UK

When to plant new zealand spinach in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to mid May. Find your area in the table below.

Region	Sow
Southern England	early March to mid May
Midlands	early March to mid May
Northern England	early March to late May
Scotland	mid March to late May

Southern England - detail & sources

RHS states sowing is under glass in early spring, or in situ from late spring once frost risk has passed.

Midlands - detail & sources

Same sowing window as elsewhere in the UK -- start under glass, plant out once frost risk has passed.

Northern England - detail & sources

Sowing window shifted about a week later than southern England for a later last-frost date -- RHS rates this crop H3, only reliably surviving in coastal and relatively mild UK areas, so a warm undercover start matters even more this far north.

Scotland - detail & sources

Sowing window shifted about two weeks later than southern England for Scotland's later last-frost date -- RHS's H3 rating and this crop's genuine heat-loving nature (CTAHR) both point to a sheltered, sunny site being important here.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Moist but well-drained (RHS); CTAHR: compost recommended in heavy soils for texture and aeration.
Lifecycle	Herbaceous, highly branched, sprawling perennial grown as a summer annual. RHS rates it H3, hardy only in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK, requiring frost protection.
Edible parts	leaves, shoots

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	CTAHR: seeds are large and germinate slowly -- soak overnight before sowing to improve germination. RHS: sow under glass in early spring, or in situ from late spring once frost risk has passed.
Establishment	3	CTAHR: space plants 12-18in apart with 2-3ft between rows to give the highly branched, sprawling habit room; mulch to conserve moisture and control weeds through summer.
Branching growth	3	RHS: thrives in full sun; CTAHR: heat-tolerant, allowing year-round growing in warm climates. The plant branches freely as it establishes, forming the sprawling habit that sets it apart from upright true spinach.
Repeat harvest	8	CTAHR: once the plant reaches 1-2ft tall, harvest the top 2-3in of shoots -- new growth develops from the nodes below each cut, so regular picking keeps the plant producing through the season.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: CTAHR: once plants reach 1-2ft tall, harvest the top 2-3in of shoots -- this encourages new growth from the nodes below the cut, allowing repeat harvests through the season.

Storage

Best used fresh, eaten raw in salads or cooked/wilted like spinach (RHS, CTAHR).

New-zealand-spinach, Seed to Harvest

A sprawling foliage mat

CTAHR describes New Zealand spinach as highly branched -- left to spread, it forms a dense, ground-covering mat rather than an upright rosette.

The branching habit up close

RHS rates New Zealand spinach H3, tender and needing frost protection -- in a mild UK summer it grows vigorously into a low, spreading plant like this.

Foliage and small flowers

The small, inconspicuous flowers are easy to miss among the succulent leaves -- the crop is grown for its foliage, not its blooms.

Growing wild on the coast

New Zealand spinach is native to coastal areas of New Zealand, Australia and parts of Asia -- rocky, salt-exposed shorelines like this are its natural habitat.

A germinating seedling

CTAHR notes the large seeds germinate slowly and benefit from an overnight soak before sowing -- once up, seedlings establish quickly in warm soil.

Young succulent leaves

Even at the seedling stage, the thick, slightly succulent leaf texture RHS describes is already visible.

Thriving in poor, sandy ground

This coastal native tolerates lean, free-draining soils well, as shown by this planting growing directly among shells and sand.

A bushy garden clump

CTAHR gives a typical height of 1-2ft for a well-grown plant -- by midsummer a single seedling can bulk up into a bushy clump like this.

Succulent leaf texture

RHS describes the leaves as edible and slightly succulent, harvested fresh for salads or wilted like true spinach.

What the research guides add

New Zealand spinach is not a spinach, and it grows the opposite way: it is a warm-season plant for the weeks when ordinary spinach bolts.

• A warm-season alternative to regular spinach that does well in hot, dry conditions (Utah State). Illinois adds that it has good drought and heat tolerance, can thrive in summer and can do well with little water. (Utah State Extension, Illinois Extension)
• Soak seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to hasten germination. (Utah State Extension)
• Do not plant seeds outside until after the last frost date, or start transplants indoors three to four weeks before it. (Utah State Extension)
• Plant seed ½ inch deep in loose, fertile soil with organic matter worked in, and space plants 3 feet between rows and 12 inches apart within the row after thinning. (Utah State Extension)
• It needs more fertiliser than broadleaf spinach. (Illinois Extension)

Sources for this section

• Utah State University Extension: How to Grow New Zealand Spinach in Your Garden
• University of Illinois Extension: Spinach and New Zealand Spinach (Hort Answers)

Section researched and checked on 24 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

References

1. Royal Horticultural Society - Tetragonia tetragonoides (New Zealand spinach)

   Hardiness H3 (-5 to 1°C, coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK). Soil: chalk, clay, loam, sand, moist but well-drained. Sun/aspect: full sun, east/south/west-facing. Exposure: sheltered. Size: 0.1-0.5m height and spread (to ~30cm). Propagation: seed, sown under glass in early spring or in situ in late spring. Pests: generally pest-free. Diseases: generally disease-free. Edible use: edible, slightly succulent leaves, harvested as needed and eaten raw or wilted like spinach. Technically a perennial but grown as an annual salad crop with frost protection needed.

2. University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), Urban Horticulture - New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonoides)

   Description: similar, milder flavour to spinach but a different, highly branched, herbaceous, heat-tolerant plant, 1-2ft in height. Harvest: new, tender shoots and leaves harvested, with new growth developing at the nodes below the cut; harvest the top 2-3in of shoots once the plant reaches 1-2ft; commercial harvest cuts the plant 2in above ground. Propagation: seeds are large and germinate slowly, soak overnight before sowing to improve germination. Spacing: 12-18in apart, 2-3ft between rows. Climate: heat tolerance allows year-round growing at low elevations in Hawaii. Soil: compost recommended alongside garden fertiliser to improve texture/aeration in heavy soils; mulch recommended for weed control and moisture conservation in summer. Alternative name: alocbate. Edible use: eaten fresh in salads or cooked like spinach; very nutritious, a serving provides 11 calories, 72% Vitamin A, 72% Vitamin C, 10% iron of adult daily requirements.

2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.