Strawberry spinach. Description and photo. We understand the varieties, methods of cultivation, care Distinctive features of strawberry spinach, its advantages and disadvantages

27.05.2020

Strawberry spinach, or the so-called spinach-raspberry, is a fairly rare occurrence in domestic gardens. Spinach does not belong to any traditional garden plant, but it has its fans. Although spinach is contraindicated in certain cases, most people are still allowed to eat it, without fear of any side effects or consequences.

Characteristics.

Wild strawberry spinach-raspberry grows in most countries, mostly in the mountains and foothill areas. Spinach-raspberry has two types. Mary is multi-leaved - the first species, it originated in the southern European part, in Asia, in New Zealand. Mar capitate is the second variety, its homeland is North American territories. They differ from each other to a minimum.

Characteristic features of spinach-raspberry.

Herbaceous annual plant, belongs to the Aramantaceae family. Other names: "Strawberry Beetroot", "Indian Ink", "Strawberry Sticks", "Goosefoot Strawberry", "Mary", "Zhminda vulgaris". The spinach bush is compacted, grows up to 80 cm. The green stalks, growing vertically, are ribbed. Leaflets in the form of rhombuses, triangles or arrows, corrugated, rich green coloring. The bush has a large number of small flowers that ripen in the leaf axils, when the flowers ripen, they grow together. The berries are drupes of fused flowers, 2 cm in size, rich red in color. In appearance, they are more like a raspberry than a strawberry. Ripening period - 60-90 days after shoots appeared. At this point, they soften, the berries are easy to crush, for this reason it is difficult to collect them.

Varieties.

There are a small number of varietal varieties of spinach-raspberry. This is because the plant is limited in culinary use. This was not taken into account during selection. Agro-firms and specialized stores do not know about spinach varieties, and therefore the sale of seeds is carried out under a single name. Some sources mention varietal varieties under the names "Sticks", "Grillage", "Victoria", they were cultivated by domestic gardeners. But in practice, it became clear that the varieties differ to a minimum.

Benefit.

Spinach has a lot of health benefits. It contains such useful material: oxalic acid, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, PP, E, K, H, beta-carotene, Mg, Ca, Fe. Spinach-raspberry also contains 2.9% of proteins by the total weight of the vegetable. This product is low-calorie - it only contains 22 kcal.

Since the plant is rich in useful elements, it means that it can be used in medicine. spinach renders beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels, contributes to the normalization of work digestive system activates the metabolism. Also, when strawberry spinach is consumed, it affects the reproductive system - there is an increase in potency, a decrease in the risk of rickets, scurvy, tuberculosis, normalization of the course of pregnancy, and strengthening of the immune system.

Beta-carotene, which is part of vegetables, has a positive effect on the skin, it improves, it also nourishes and smoothes wrinkles. Because of this, spinach is often used in cosmetology, it is added to nourishing masks.

Application.

The whole plant is edible, all its fragments. Salads and green cabbage soup are prepared from young leaves and shoots. The taste, of course, will not be particularly felt, but the dish will become more nutritious at times. The leaves are dried in order to further brew vitamin teas or prepare infusions. Also, leaves are used in sourdough, like cabbage leaves.

What can be cooked from spinach. Dishes.

Spinach berries - an ingredient for filling in pies, they will also become wonderful decoration salads. Often compotes or tinctures that do not have color are tinted with spinach-raspberry berries. Although the name is “sweet”, the berries are almost tasteless and do not emit aroma, for this reason pure fruits are almost never used. When the berries are fully ripe, they develop a sweet taste. To prepare vitamin teas, dried berries are used. Below will be given recipes for the use of spinach-raspberries.

Kvass. Ingredients: 1 liter of fruit, warm boiled water (2 liters), sugar (500-750 grams). It is not necessary to wash the fruits, we wrinkle them well, fill them with water, add sugar, mix thoroughly, pour into a bottle and put where it is warm. Fermentation of kvass will occur due to the yeast that is on the berries. After 3 days, the prepared drink is drained from the sediment, filtered and put where it is cool.

Jam. Since the fruits have almost no taste, they can be supplemented with any jam for greater vitaminization. In another case, other ingredients with brighter colors are added to strawberry spinach jam. taste qualities and enticing aroma. To prepare the base - syrup - we need equal parts of granulated sugar and water. Mix the ingredients and bring the syrup to a boil. Next, you need to pour the fruits into it. This mixture is brought to a boil, then removed from the stove and cooled for half a day or overnight. This action is repeated 3 times. Then the ready-made jam is poured into jars, closed and placed where it is cool.

Salad. To prepare dishes, not only berries are used, but also spinach-raspberry leaves. Ingredients for salad: young leaves, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Grind sesame seeds with a blender, add them to the leaves. The remaining components are mixed and we fill the salad with this composition.

Who is contraindicated in spinach-raspberry.

The benefits of eating raspberry spinach are good, but the fact that spinach contains high amounts of oxalic acid can also negative influence. Saponin, which is found in leaves and berries, is a toxic substance. For this reason, the use of leaves or berries in food in large portions can affect the appearance of intestinal disorders. What diseases are forbidden to eat spinach: diseases urinary tract, digestive organs, ulcers, gout.

How to grow strawberry spinach the right way.

Spinach-raspberry is successfully cultivated in Russian center, in the northeast, in the southern regions of our country. Strawberry spinach is unpretentious, frost-tolerant, easy to care for, grows on any soil. Cultivated outdoors and at home.

Often the plant is not cared for at all, its reproduction occurs with success and self-sowing. However, a rapid transformation from a vegetable into a weed can occur, then you will have to wage a tough fight with it.

Planting and agricultural technology.

Planting and caring for the culture is simple. You can sow the seeds once, then the reproduction of spinach will occur on its own. Spinach does not care about neighbors, it can grow both separately and adjacent to peppers or tomatoes, or between rows of carrots or beets.

How to plant spinach raspberries.

It is necessary to plant plants after sufficient warming of the soil. It can be planted in two ways: by seeds or seedlings, the seedling method takes more time and effort, but it contributes to a quick harvest. The ridges are dug up in advance, at the same time top dressing is introduced. It is better to fertilize with organic mixtures, manure that has already rotted or humus.

Cultivation by seed method.

Before the stratification of seeds is carried out - you need to keep the grains in the refrigerator for several days. This helps to increase their germination. After stratification, the seeds must be soaked for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect them. Sowing of finished seeds is carried out in rows 1.5-2 cm deep. Then they are sprinkled with soil or sand. Plantings are watered, and a film shelter is made before shoots appear. As a rule, this happens after 10-12 days. Next, the covering material is removed. Sowing seeds can be done before winter time of the year. You will receive fresh leaves in May days.

Seedling method.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in April. It is better to plant the grains in separate peat cups, in order to avoid the current transplant. The seeds are sown 1-1.5 cm deep. After deepening, the soil is watered, the glasses are covered with film material and placed where it is warm and dark. After 10-12 days after the shoots appeared, the shelter is removed, the cups are placed on the windowsill. After the formation of 4-6 true leaves on the seedling, they are transplanted into open beds.

Watering and feeding.

Raspberry spinach does not like the soil to dry out, it cannot stand it, for this reason watering should be regular. It is recommended to water under the roots, a thin stream. Spinach is unpretentious for feeding. In the spring season, the bushes are fed with ammonium nitrate to enhance the green mass gain. Further, you can only feed the plants with an ash solution or a complex containing potassium and phosphorus.

How to weed and loosen the soil.

If spinach was planted by direct sowing of grains into the ground, then weed the plantings very carefully and scrupulously. From the time it was planted before the seedlings appeared, 10-14 days can fly by, during this time period the growth of weeds will not happen weakly, and they can simply suffocate weak sprouts. After the shoots have appeared, it is recommended to mulch the ridges with peat or humus. This will protective measure against the growth of weeds, plus water will remain in the soil.

Treatment of diseases and prevention of harmful insects.

The case when spinach-raspberry got sick is a rather rare occurrence. The appearance of the disease can occur due to the neglect of the beds or due to bad weather. In most cases, a fungus appears on the culture in the form of spots or plaque on the leaves. Then the infected bush is destroyed. There are almost no harmful insects on plants. Since berries are tasteless and leaves containing a lot of oxalic acid, they do not like it.

How to harvest.

The word "harvest" somehow does not fit with raspberry spinach, because all its fragments are edible. Young greens are torn off before flowering to make a salad, later it starts to taste bitter and becomes tougher, though useful qualities and are preserved. On the third summer month, the ripening of berries begins. The fact that they have a rich red color does not mean anything - this is not a feature of maturity. The berries fully ripen only in the autumn season. At this point, they turn maroon, soften and can easily wrinkle. Just at this time, the fruits become sweet. The berries are cut with the stem, then carefully separated from each other.

Summary.

Adding raspberry spinach to your diet is beneficial, as the culture contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. The protein content of the plant is higher compared to milk powder. Yet its cultivation is rare. Due to the fact that spinach is little known, the berries are tasteless. And yet, this vegetable is becoming popular with gardeners and gardeners, as it is unpretentious to growing conditions and reproduces itself.

Real reviews.

Oleg Sergeevich, Rostov region, 38 years old:“The zhminda crawled to my site from the neighbors, I didn’t plant them. Initially, I wanted to snatch spinach, then I decided to read about it, and eventually left it. I use it as a herb for salads. Fruits without taste, despite the decorative effect.
Anastasia Romanovna, Belgorod region, 62 years old:“Once I decided to try to plant a spinach-raspberry variety, they spurred it on in a specialized store. The green part is delicious. And from the fruits there is zero sense, they are only beautiful, but there is no taste. I dyed apple compote with them. The next year, seedlings appeared on their own, I did not sow it myself. I left it, okay. I weed the excess, of course, so that there is no strong growth.
Valentina Vyacheslavovna, Maykop, 56 years old:“Strawberry spinach-raspberry planted for the first time for testing, it became interesting. I liked the photo. Life has been the same. The bushes resemble swords with berries strung on them. Spinach grows on my site for decoration, the fruits are unsuitable for food, as they are tasteless.

Strawberry spinach is enriched with vitamins, microelements and other useful substances. Greenery is not whimsical, so almost all gardeners grow it. The plant has healing properties Therefore, it is used for the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, it is important to know how to grow strawberry spinach on the windowsill of the house or in the open field, as well as how it can be used.

Brief description of the plant

Strawberry spinach is considered annual plant, but if the seeds are crushed to the ground from the berries, they can germinate again on their own next year.

The plant has green leaves, triangular-lanceolate in shape, which are often added to various dishes. The top of the foliage is slightly pointed. The edges of the leaves have pointed teeth. Branches of strawberry spinach can reach 70 centimeters. The plant has an upright stem and a thick root.

Strawberries bloom with bisexual, three-membered flowers, twisted into balls. Perianth red, fleshy.

Spinach ripens in August. The taste of the berries is tasteless. Inside they contain a lot of seeds, and very little pulp. When the berries turn burgundy, they are considered ripe. Strawberry seeds are black-brown with longitudinal grooves, smooth and shiny structure.

Strawberry spinach endures cold, unpretentious when grown. It is recommended to plant it in a sunny or shaded area. The plant is grown by sowing seeds in the soil, using seedlings or self-sowing.

self sowing

If strawberry spinach has already grown on the site, it is no longer necessary to plant it specially from seeds or seedlings. It will grow by self-seeding.

If you don't want your spinach to grow haphazardly next year, carefully remove the berries, collect the seeds, and prepare them for storage.

If there is concern that spinach may clog other plants in the area, it can be pulled out along with the root.

seed cultivation

You can grow strawberry spinach by sowing seeds in the soil. The procedure is mainly carried out in spring or autumn before the onset of frost. Seeds are placed in the holes made. As soon as three leaves appear on the seedlings, too weak shoots are removed.

Spinach can be sown in rows. The sprouts are thinned out over time so that there is a distance of 10 centimeters between them. The grown plants are re-thinned out, as they begin to interfere with the development and growth of each other. Between plants there should be gaps of 40 centimeters. The plucked leaves of the plant are used in cooking.

To obtain early greens, the method of growing with seedlings is used. If there is a greenhouse, strawberries can be planted as soon as the soil warms up slightly. Growing rules:

Sort the seeds, place in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.
In the seedling box, make indentations 1 centimeter deep.
Sow seeds pre-mixed with sand and sprinkle them with soil.
After 12 days, the first shoots will appear.
After 30 days, transplant the seedlings together with the ground to the intended place according to the 40x40 scheme.

Read also: Hellebore - planting and care in the open field

At the end of April, seedlings can be planted directly in open ground. When planting between the beds should be a distance of 40 centimeters.

Strawberry spinach is important to water regularly. On very hot days, watering should be done daily.

Loosen the soil from time to time and remove weeds. In moist soil, it is recommended to make wood ash as a mandatory top dressing.

Growing at home

Strawberry spinach needs nutritious soil enriched with humus. Therefore, it is important to prepare the right soil for the plant. Since when grown on a windowsill, it will not be able to find useful substances in the soil, unlike plants planted in open ground.

The substrate is recommended to be calcined in the oven before use or kept in the freezer for two days. Such actions will help to destroy pests that may live in the ground.
For planting spinach, seed can be purchased at a specialized store or taken from the last harvest.
Seeds are sown in shallow grooves, moistened from a spray bottle. Covered with glass. After the appearance of the first shoots, the glass should be removed.

Strawberry spinach can be sown in early spring. After two months, the seedlings that have grown and strengthened on the windowsill can be transplanted into open soil. Spinach at home on the windowsills is not difficult to grow. It is important to carry out the procedure on a well-lit windowsill with timely watering in order to grow greens for the preparation of tasty and healthy dishes.

To collect spinach seeds for planting next year, choose the most beautiful fruits. Lightly rub them and fill with water. Put in a warm place. As soon as fermentation begins, after a few days, pour the mass into a fine strainer. Rinse planting material water several times to clear it of mucus.

Dry the seeds by laying out on a sheet of paper. When they are dry, pour into a paper bag or a jar with a lid, store in a cool place.

Harvesting

The berries formed after flowering have a red color. You can collect them only when they become soft to the touch and acquire a sweetish aftertaste. In appearance, the fruits resemble raspberries or mulberries. The amount of harvest directly depends on what kind of care will be carried out.

Features of plant care

Strawberry spinach needs the following care:

Since the plant grows best in moist soil, it should be watered in such a way that the soil is constantly moist. Make sure that the earth does not dry out.
With the active growth of foliage, weed the bushes periodically so that they do not interfere with each other's development.
Remove weeds.
With active development and growth, spinach must be fertilized with ammonium nitrate, ash or other suitable organic fertilizers;
Very rarely, but still, sometimes strawberry roots are affected by white or gray rot. To prevent such a disease, it is often necessary to weed the soil.

When caring for spinach, it is important to remember that it can withstand frosts down to -10 degrees below zero.

plant benefits

The berries and leaves of the plant contain many different minerals. Spinach is rich in iron, which is easily absorbed by the human body. Also, the plant is rich in large amounts of lipids, which are good for the blood. Thus, spinach bushes help prevent various diseases.

Read also: Chubushnik: types and varieties, description of plants and their features

The body in the spring needs vitamins, glucose, fructose. Therefore, it is recommended to cook dishes with spinach in order to replenish the reserves of vitamins lost during the winter.

Contraindications to the use of the plant

The use of strawberry spinach prevents the development of many diseases. But, despite the usefulness of the plant, it has its contraindications. The composition of the leaves includes a lot of acid, so they should be used carefully for stomach ulcers, gout or diseases of the urinary system.

The plant can provoke an allergy within a few hours after its use. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor the reaction of the body after a meal with spinach, especially if you eat it for the first time.

Since the plant is able to completely absorb the pesticides with which it is processed, it can adversely affect the activity of the thyroid gland. To reduce the negative effect of the leaves, they are treated with heat, for example, boiled. But, if you eat spinach moderately and regularly, it will only benefit the human body.

Application features

Strawberry spinach leaves are used in various fields. Most often, it acts as an ornamental plant for decorating rooms or plots. The plant is also used by physicians for the treatment various diseases, cosmetologists for facial rejuvenation, cooks for preparing healthy and tasty food.

Spinach is used to decorate the garden. Bright and beautiful fruits of the plant can stay on the branches during June - September. Therefore, ornamental strawberries are often planted along paths as borders or unusual spots in flower beds.

Since the plant is not whimsical to care for, it is often planted on alpine hills or in places where other plants cannot grow.

Features of use in medicine

In the treatment of various diseases, doctors often advise eating strawberry spinach. For example:

the plant is rich in carotene, which prevents damage to the walls of the arteries. Therefore, it is recommended to eat it for better work heart and blood vessels;
thanks to vitamin C and beta-carotene, spinach protects the walls of the colon from the influence of harmful components, and constipation is also prevented;
with the constant intake of the plant as food, the work of the male reproductive system improves;
doctors advise spinach leaves to be used by people suffering from anemia, anemia or tuberculosis;
the plant helps with diabetes, high blood pressure and hemorrhoids;
dishes with a plant remarkably strengthen the body's defenses;
the nervous system is also strengthened.

How can the plant be eaten?

Strawberry spinach can be used in any form. Green leaves are used to create vitamin salads as well as sauces. The foliage is also covered for the winter as pickles or pickled foods.

Red berries are often used to make compotes. They are frozen to decorate confectionery or meat dishes.

Since spinach has a low calorie content, it is eaten on a dietary basis. Strawberry Spinach Dishes:

Whisk the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. Add grated cheese (200 grams), spinach (500 grams), flour (45 grams). Mix thoroughly. Pour the resulting dough into a mold greased with butter. Bake the cake for an hour at 180 degrees.
Wash and dry the berries. Mix equal amounts of water and sugar. Boil the syrup. Add prepared spinach to it. Bring to a boil and cool. Jam can be varied by adding other fruits. For example, to get an unusual exotic taste with sourness, add kiwi fruit to the preparation for the winter.
Pour 2 kilograms of the fruits of the plant with warm water and cover with 2 kilograms of sugar. Cover the container with a lid and place on the table. Give kvass at room temperature infuse for three days.
To prepare soup with a plant, boil 500 grams of spinach, chop with a blender. After boiling the beef broth separately, divide the meat into pieces. Add 500 grams of chopped potatoes to the broth. When the potatoes are cooked, chop them right in the soup. Add spinach puree to the soup, boil for two minutes after boiling. To make the soup more tasty, you can prepare a dressing for it. In sour cream (1 cup), add a little lemon juice, and various spices to taste.

Mary multileaf, or zhminda, or strawberry spinach is an annual vegetable plant that can be attributed to edible greens used in cooking. It can also be grown as an ornamental crop. Just do it with care so as not to get yourself another weed on the site. About this article.

Description of the plant, its characteristics, growing region

It's an annual herbaceous plant amaranth family. Its homeland is North America. Native Indians used the plant to dye clothing and materials. This is probably why one of the unofficial names of this plant is Indian ink. And German monks cultivated it more than four hundred years ago.

Strawberry spinach flowers have both male and female organs and are wind pollinated.

In Russia, it grows in the southern, northeastern and central regions. It grows up to 50 cm or more, has sprawling branches covered with light green spear-shaped leaves. The structure is very similar to tender spinach. It contains vitamins, carbohydrates, carotene and many other useful trace elements. Leaves become stiffer as they mature. From the end of July until frost, it bears fruit with bright red berries that look like strawberries or raspberries.

Strawberry spinach is reputed to be handsome because of its bright red fruits (fruits) that resemble strawberries or raspberries.

Varieties of strawberry spinach

There are very few varieties of strawberry spinach. There are currently no domestic varieties of this crop. The most common variety in our country is Strawberry Sticks.

Grade Strawberry Sticks (Strawberry branch)

A variety of Dutch selection, has such a name because the berries of this variety have a light strawberry aroma. Little different from the wild form. The variety is cold-resistant, photophilous, can withstand shading, prefers fertile soils with a light structure. One of the fastest growing leafy vegetables.

The variety is widely used in Russia

The variety is photophilous, but can withstand a little shading. Cold-resistant, able to withstand small frosts down to -7 o C. It is a shrub up to 70 cm in branching form. The flowers are small, green, which, growing together, form numerous seedlings, resembling bright red berries of strawberries or raspberries when ripe.

More characterized as an ornamental plant, flower

Distinctive features of strawberry spinach, its advantages and disadvantages

Strawberry spinach has a lot of advantages. The plant is unpretentious: it easily grows on any soil, in bright sun. Can tolerate frost. Appearance is exotic. At the same time, it is also edible, and even very useful. First of all, it is grown for the sake of leaves, which appear at the same time as early onions and are suitable for preparing early vitamin salads. Leaves can be harvested for future use by freezing, pickling or salting.

Fruits resembling strawberries or raspberries are also suitable for eating. There is absolutely no acid in their composition, so they have a bland taste. For eating, they are best combined with other berries. The value of fruits lies in the high content of useful trace elements. They are effective in increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood due to their high iron content.

100 grams of strawberry spinach leaves contain more protein than the same amount of milk powder.

Video: useful properties of strawberry spinach

Growing Features

Strawberry spinach can be sown in open ground immediately after the soil has thawed. In the southern regions, this can be done as early as mid-March.

You can sow spinach seeds immediately after the snow melts.

Before sowing, it is advisable to stratify the seeds by placing them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 3–5 days, and then soak for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or Maxim fungicide. This will protect plants from fungal diseases and speed up the germination process.

Before sowing, it is useful to soak the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate

Landing in the ground

The best predecessors are cucumbers, tomatoes, and other greens. Strawberry spinach is often planted as a compactor of other crops.

When preparing the soil, you need to take care of its fertility. During digging, it is useful to add humus (at the rate of 5 kg / m2) or ash (200 g / m2). It is desirable that such training be carried out in the fall.

Seeds are sown in grooves to a depth of not more than 1.5 cm.

In loose soil, shallow beards are carried out with a depth of no more than 2 cm.
Seeds are mixed with river sand in a ratio of 1:3 and sown in grooves.
The grooves are sprinkled with earth, moistened and mulched with a thin layer of humus.
The bed must be covered with a film until the emergence of seedlings.

Shoots will appear in 10-12 days. It is important to keep the soil in the furrows moist.

When the plants grow up, they should be thinned out (twice) so that in the final version the distances between them are at least 35–40 cm.

You can also plant seeds in holes with a distance of 40 cm between them. 4-6 seeds are placed in each hole to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm, covered with soil and slightly moistened. Before germination, the wells are covered with jars or cut plastic bottles.

To speed up the emergence of seedlings, crops are covered with plastic bottles.

Planting through seedlings

Planting strawberry spinach through seedlings will accelerate the possibility of obtaining useful leaves and fruits. It is better to grow seedlings in peat cups, so that when planting in the ground, do not injure the root system of plants.

You can start sowing seedlings as early as March. In prepared cups with a diameter of 5 cm, the seeds are buried by 1-1.5 cm, sprinkled with earth on top and lightly watered. It is better to cover the cups with a film and put them in a warm, dark place, preventing the soil from drying out. After 10-12 days, the seeds will germinate, then the film needs to be removed, and the cups with seedlings should be placed on the windowsill, observing temperature regime not higher than +15 o C. Seedlings are planted in open ground after the formation of 4-6 true leaves. This happens about a month after sowing.

Seedlings of strawberry spinach are very reminiscent of a young quinoa. Is not it?

It is better to get seeds for planting on your own. To do this, you need to choose well-ripened seedlings, gently knead them, pour warm water and leave overnight in a dark place. Then rinse them from the resulting mucus by passing through a strainer. Next, the seeds are laid out in a thin layer on a napkin to dry, and then they are removed for storage in a paper bag.

Video: spinach seed sowing tricks

Landing Care

Strawberry spinach care can be as follows:

The plant is moisture-loving, so it is important to ensure that the soil is constantly moist;
Young green leaves are harvested before flowering;
The first feeding of plants (at the time of the formation of the first true leaves) can be carried out with ammonium nitrate (1 tablespoon / 10 liters of water), later - with ash (half a glass / bush);
Periodic weeding and loosening can be done less frequently if the soil around the plants is mulched;
Strawberry spinach stalks require a garter, because. with a good harvest, under the weight of the fruit, they bend to the ground.

Raspberry spinach, strawberry spinach, berry spinach - all these names evoke associations with some kind of exotic hybrid plant that is difficult to grow. In fact, this is an annual herbaceous plant, which even a novice gardener can handle growing. Strawberry spinach has a mass useful properties and is decorative, but first things first.

Spinach strawberry description

Despite the Russian-language name, the culture has nothing to do with spinach (Spinach). This is a plant of the genus Mary, family Amaranthaceae. Homeland of strawberry spinach (Strawberry Sticks), or zhminda, is the south of Europe and the north of Africa. Botanical description:

The plant is an annual, up to 70 cm high, with a thick rhizome.
Stems are erect, leafy along the entire length.
The leaves are triangular-lanceolate, with serrated edges, 7 cm long, 4 cm wide.
The plant is densely leafy below, the leaves at the base are spear-shaped, pointed.
The flowers are collected in inflorescences in the axils of the leaves, the perianths are red.
Flowering occurs in late July-early August, the fruits ripen in a month.
The fruit is a complex drupe, when ripe, red-burgundy in color, slightly sweet.
It has many shiny black-brown seeds.

Strawberry spinach

Young leaves are eaten as green leafy vegetables and berries. The fruits taste nothing like strawberries or raspberries. The name reflects only the external similarity of the berries.

Agricultural technology

Strawberry spinach is related to the quinoa, and its closest ancestors are the same weed. That is why even cultivated varieties of zhminda are absolutely unpretentious, drought-resistant and frost-resistant. This is a very unusual-looking plant, so it is often grown in flower beds, you can allocate a place for it in the beds or place it in containers. For good harvest cultivation on light fertile soil is recommended.

So that the berries are not dryish, the plant should be provided with sufficient moisture. Zhminda may well develop in the shade, but in order for the fruits to be sweeter, it is better to allocate a sunny place for it. It is not demanding on soils, it can develop in ordinary garden soil.

The plant should be provided with moisture

Sowing seeds

How to sow berry spinach in early spring, and before winter. Before sowing, it is recommended to pickle the seed material for half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Growing strawberry spinach from seeds is not difficult. The holes are made at a distance of 40 cm, several seeds are placed in each to a depth of 2-3 cm. To speed up the germination process, the crops are covered with a film. When two true leaves appear in the ascended plants, the crops are thinned out, leaving one in the hole. Removed sprouts are suitable for consumption, or they can be planted in other beds. The culture can withstand frosts down to -8 degrees.

Growing seedlings

In areas with a cold spring or for early greens, you can grow spinach-raspberry seedlings at home. Sowing is carried out in mid-March-early April. Seeds are disinfected, mixed with dry sand and sown in boxes in grooves 1 cm deep. But peat humus cups are best suited for this crop. Shoots should appear in 10-12 days. Seedling care is normal, the main thing is that the earth does not dry out. It can be planted in open ground in 30-35 days with a clod of earth (the roots are fragile). Planting pattern - 40x40 cm. Experienced gardeners use spinach-raspberries as a compactor in a greenhouse or on beds between tomatoes, eggplants, peppers. While the main crop grows up, spinach will already produce a crop of fresh greens.

Growing seedlings

Interesting. An unusual plant is grown in an apartment on the balcony. It not only provides the whole family with vitamins, but also performs a decorative function.

Care

In order for the harvest to please with quality and quantity, it is necessary to water the zhminda regularly, combining it with top dressing with ash and loosening. If cultivation is done for the sake of berries, then the plant needs to be supported, since tall stems can droop to the ground. Spinach greens can be consumed at a young age, with the onset of flowering, the plant often develops bitterness. The berries ripen in September, they need to be removed carefully, as overripe fruits crumble. The seeds that have fallen into the ground easily endure the winter and randomly sprout in the spring like weeds. They can be planted in beds, with careful handling, most plants take root well.

Beneficial features

Strawberry spinach has a number of useful properties, and both berries and leaves are valuable. It is widely used in traditional medicine, as a source of essential substances and for medicinal purposes. On the basis of this plant, rejuvenating masks and decoctions are made to strengthen hair.

Zhminda has the following properties:

Stimulates the work of the heart and blood vessels. It contains vitamins A and C (antioxidants), carotene (preserves the walls of blood vessels).
Helps in the digestive tract. The substances contained in the plant prevent constipation.
The high iron content in berries helps to increase hemoglobin.
It is a source of vitamins PP, groups B, E, K, iron, magnesium, calcium, fatty acids.
May act as a low calorie source of protein.
Successfully cures diathesis in children.
Regular consumption of fresh herbs contributes to the normalization of the nervous system.

Has beneficial properties

The grass is dried, tinctures and decoctions are made from it. Leaf tea is used as an immune boosting drink. But we must not forget that any medicinal plant has contraindications. Spinach-raspberries should not be used for stomach ulcers, diseases of the genitourinary system and gout.

Application in cooking

Berries received wide application in cooking. They are used in home-made preparations: they cook jam, assorted compotes (goes well with strawberries), they are used as a natural dye. Beautiful kvass is made from fresh berries. Spinach-raspberry is popular with Europeans and is often found in recipes of the peoples of Europe. The leaves are added to salads and soups, used in the preparation of meat, vegetable dishes and sauces. In addition, greens can be prepared for the future, it is suitable for drying, freezing and canning.

Spinach with berries similar to strawberries is an unusually attractive and useful plant. Its juicy leaves will become an indispensable source of vitamins in spring, and bright berries will decorate a variety of dishes. At the same time, anyone can grow it, because breeding strawberry spinach does not require serious knowledge and effort.

Strawberry spinach has already gone out of fashion for some gardeners, for others it is only gaining popularity, and still others have been growing it for many years and do not know how to get rid of self-sowing or, conversely, they love and use it in cooking and for medicinal purposes. Many call this culture an advertised weed, but do not deny its benefits. From all this we can conclude that strawberry spinach is unpretentious and is able to replenish our diet with vitamins and microelements. And it's also very decorative. Only for the sake of these three qualities is it worth planting such a plant and, based on the results of cultivation, decide whether it deserves a place on the site.

About the origin of strawberry spinach, a description of the culture

This plant does not even look like spinach and strawberries. Although you can find something in common if you wish: the leaves are used in cooking in the same way as spinach, and the red seedlings resemble a berry, but rather a raspberry than a strawberry. In the descriptions on the bags of seeds or on the Internet, you can find phrases about the similarity of the taste of fruits with strawberries. However, numerous reviews of gardeners testify to the opposite: “no taste”, “fresh”, “strawberries and does not smell”, “reminiscent of unripe mulberry”, “like a cucumber”. And only a few manage to find sweet taste reminiscent of strawberries. Perhaps the reason is in different varieties, growing conditions and incorrect determination of the stage of maturity.

Strawberry spinach seeds look tempting, but few people like their taste

In fact, strawberry spinach belongs to the Amaranth family, that is, it is the closest relative of the well-known: quinoa, beets, amaranth, gomphrenas. The botanical name is strikingly different from the advertising one, sometimes they honestly write on the bags of seeds that it is zhminda or gauze. Two types are popular:

zhminda multi-leaved;
zhminda capitate.

Both species are not too different from each other, except perhaps their homeland. Multileaf was first discovered in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Mediterranean. It still grows wild there. And the capitate comes from North America, grows freely in Europe and New Zealand.

This plant has many names: gauze, common zhminda, strawberry or strawberry spinach, spinach-raspberry. It grows as a lush herbaceous bush 40–80 cm high. First, a dense rosette of triangular or rhombic leaves with notches is formed. Then many shoots are thrown out from the center. On them, in the axils of the leaves, red or orange flowers form, they grow together into berry-like balls up to 2 cm in diameter. Later, each flower turns into a juicy fruit with a bone inside. It looks like a raspberry, consisting of several drupes. But in raspberries, such a berry grows from one flower, and in strawberry spinach, from several.

In this phase of development, it can be seen that in each sinus a lot of flowers and ovaries have formed, which subsequently grow together and create one berry-fruit.

Strawberry spinach fruits ripen in 1-1.5 months after germination. They stay on the stems for a long time, they are well separated from them. Gardeners say that to know the real taste of strawberry spinach, you need to wait for full ripeness, when the berries become soft. It is difficult to collect them at this time, they are wrinkled, but you can cut them along with the shoot and feast directly from the twig.

Video: strawberry spinach in the garden

The plant is grown in gardens as an annual. Due to early maturity and frost resistance (up to -10 ⁰C), strawberry spinach can be sown from early spring to July, and then before winter. Although the bushes themselves reproduce perfectly by self-sowing. Having matured in your garden at least once, the gauze will continue to sow and grow on its own, like dill, calendula, borage and other unpretentious crops. She is not afraid of diseases and pests. The only exception is the omnivorous aphid.

About the assortment of strawberry spinach

Mary is not very common in Russia. There are no varieties in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, as well as the culture itself. In seed stores you can often find bags with names:

Strawberry spinach, that is, without a variety name at all. The description says that this is a strongly branching herbaceous plant 50 cm high. The leaves taste like spinach, and the fruits are blackberry-raspberry hybrids and mulberries. Such seeds without a variety name are sold by agricultural companies: Aelita, Poisk, Golden Garden, Russian Garden, etc.
Strawberry spinach seeds from Aelita
Zhminda (strawberry spinach). We already know that this is not a variety, but the real name of a plant genus, and it is not clear whether it is multi-leaved zhminda or capitate. The description is almost the same as above, down to the height of the bush and the taste of the fruit. Produced under the brands: Flora, Helios, Seeds for You, etc.
Strawberry spinach seeds under its real name - zhminda
Strawberry Spinach This is more interesting, the name of the variety appeared. The description on the bag, depending on the company, may repeat the above or be uninformative. So, nothing is said for you about the taste of seedlings Grilyazh under the brands Sedek and Semena, but healing properties are mentioned.
Seeds of strawberry spinach
Strawberry Sticks (Chenopodium Foliosum - multi-leaved gauze) - under this name, the culture is sold abroad, you can order it on Aliexpress or in the English Suttons online store. Strawberry Sticks, translated as "strawberry sticks". This is not surprising, because the seedlings are located on the shoot as if the red berries were strung on a skewer. There is a description: the bush grows 40 cm high, the leaves are light green, arrow-shaped, the fruits are red, edible, they look like strawberries / strawberries. Seeds under the Suttons brand are sold as part of "Fun to Grow" kits for children, which include: a magnifying glass, measuring tape, stickers. While playing, young naturalists learn to grow flowers and vegetables; unpretentious and bright zhminda is ideal for this.
Strawberry Sticks seeds are sold abroad as part of educational kits for children

The incomprehensible “variety” of varieties in Russia reminds me of the story of physalis. When it was just starting to be grown in our region, two types were sold in the store: strawberry and vegetable, without varieties. Of course, everyone wanted strawberry, because it should grow tasty and sweet. In fact, no matter what bag I bought, a vegetable grew out of the seeds - very fruitful and unpretentious, but with fruits of a disgusting taste. Of course, no jam could be made from it, and it was impossible to eat it raw. Time has passed, and today it is already possible to buy, indeed, strawberry physalis, and even different varieties: Raisin, Pineapple, Confectioner, etc. However, gardeners still complain about regrading: vegetable still comes across, instead of strawberry. Same with strawberry spinach. I think if you are interested: you have to dare, buy, try. Perhaps someday this crop will be clearly divided into varieties in our country, and their descriptions will appear in the State Register, but for now, buying the seeds of this plant remains a lottery. Probably, hence the different reviews: some grow tall bushes with sweet berries, in others - low with tasteless.

How Strawberry Spinach Is Used

This plant of any variety has a high nutritional value, rich in vitamins A, C, E, P and group B, mono- and disaccharides, micro- and macro elements. Strawberry spinach is called the champion among vegetable crops in terms of iron content, and vegetable protein in it is twice as much as in cabbage, there are fatty acids (lipids). But the leaves and fruits should be eaten in moderation. The leaves contain oxalates - salts and esters of oxalic acid, and the seeds inside the berries are toxic in large quantities.

Video: about the cultivation and benefits of strawberry spinach

Mary or zhminda appears in early spring from self-sowing, therefore it is able, along with onions, sorrel, asparagus, rhubarb, to replenish your diet with vitamins. Fresh leaves without any flavor is even a plus. They can be added to salads and spring green cabbage soup. Strawberry spinach does not affect the taste, does not interrupt the smells of other ingredients, but nutritional value dishes greatly enhances. In addition, the leaves can be fermented like cabbage, dried for winter tea or medicinal infusion. It has already been verified that zhminda infusion helps with colds, strengthens cardiovascular system, slows down cell aging, increases hemoglobin.

Salad with the addition of leaves and fruits of strawberry spinach

Fruits in technical ripeness have the same taste as leaves. They are added to salads at least for beauty, not to mention the benefits. You can cook jam, but together with something else for taste and aroma (lemon, cherry). The berries themselves ennoble the product with a bright red color, so they are well suited for tinting fruit compotes with colorless juice (apples, pears, quinces). However, during heat treatment, the benefits are reduced, it is better to freeze the excess crop to decorate winter vegetable and meat dishes. The fruits of zhminda can be dried and, like the leaves, they are used to make tea and infusion.

Video: a large bush of strawberry spinach, a recipe for kvass from it

How to grow strawberry spinach outdoors

The agricultural technique of this culture is so simple that it is accessible even to children. Problems arise only because of the poor germination of store seeds. From several packages, 2-3 plants can grow, but this will be enough. Already in the current year, and with late sowing - in the next, dozens of bushes will grow from self-sowing.

The culture is undemanding to the soil, in nature it grows on loose soils and even on sand dunes. Loves the sun, but tolerates partial shade well. Mary is resistant to drought, however, without watering, the fruits will set small and dry.

There are recommendations from experienced gardeners sow directly into the ground, without growing seedlings. I plant a new culture for myself, and even from small seeds, like strawberry spinach, I sow in boxes or pots. If the culture is cold-resistant and early ripening, like this, then I sow when the earth thaws. I keep pots outdoors. Then the seedlings will not get lost, as in the garden, among the weeds. After all, I don’t know what kind of cotyledons will be, what to weed out, what to leave. Moreover, zhminda or gauze at the beginning of the growing season is a copy of weed quinoa.

Video: strawberry spinach grown by self-sowing

On the website of the agricultural company Aelita, it is advised to sow strawberry spinach in open ground in early spring, as soon as the land allows. Embedding depth - 0.5–1 cm. Seeds can be soaked before this for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. Water the seedlings superficially from a watering can with a strainer every day, weed, in the phase of 2-3 true leaves, thin out or plant according to the 30x30 cm scheme.

Further care also consists in removing weeds, watering, but now every 2-3 days, top dressing - every 2 weeks. In the leaf growth phase, apply fertilizers containing nitrogen (urea, ammonium nitrate, nitroammophoska, mullein or litter infusion). During the flowering period, complex top dressings are needed with trace elements, phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen in a minimum concentration or without it at all: Fertik, Clean Leaf, Agricola and other ready-made mixtures for vegetables. You can feed with ashes: a glass in a bucket of water, shake and pour. Overgrown bushes need a garter, otherwise the shoots will fall to the ground under the weight of fruits, the crop will be in the mud.

Shoots of strawberry spinach under the weight of the fruit lie on the ground, you need a garter

Growing on a windowsill

If you need early greens for salads, then sow the seeds in pots from March to April and grow them as seedlings or indoor flowers. The soil can be made by yourself from the soil from your site and humus or compost (1: 1). Another option is to collect land from under the turf in a forest or clearing. It is fertile and has a loose granular structure. Purchased soil is also suitable - universal for seedlings or vegetables.

Soddy land has a loose structure, it contains humus - a product of the processing of plant residues by earthworms

Purchased soil has ceased to be a panacea for me. There are a lot of companies involved in its production and sale. According to the principle “land is land in Africa, how can something not grow on it”, I bought the cheapest one for seedlings. Inside the bags, in addition to the soil, there were pieces of cuttings from a shovel and lumps of clay. As a result, half of this "land" had to be thrown away. But the worst thing is that the seedlings did not grow in it. The seeds sprouted, 2-3 leaves appeared, and things did not go any further. Now I have a different principle: my own is best, no matter what land we have on the site, but everything grows on it. And I'm afraid to advise everyone to buy ready-made soil after that. It is better to collect somewhere in the wild from under the weeds, but you will know for sure that the earth is alive, plants grow on it.

Video: ways to disinfect soil for seedlings

On the page of the English online store Suttons, in addition to the description of Strawberry Sticks, there is also a cultivation technology:

Take a tray or container with drainage holes and fill it with fertile soil.
Water and spread the seeds on top.
Sprinkle with a thin layer of earth and wait for seedlings. They should appear in 7-13 days.
As soon as the plants grow up, plant them in different pots.
Grow in a warm, well-lit window sill.
In late spring and summer, put the pots under the open sky, bring them into the house at night.
In late May - early June, plant in a sunny place in the garden or in a large pot, flowerpot, flower bed.

It looks like seedlings of strawberry spinach

As it grows, you can pluck a few leaves for salad. Berries will appear at the end of summer, they are best eaten fresh. If you grow in a pot until the end of the growing season, then its volume should correspond to the size of an adult bush: the height of the shoots is 40 cm, which means that the diameter and depth of the container should be the same. The earth in flowerpots and containers in the open air dries up faster than in the garden, be careful not to skip watering. The soil should be constantly moist, but not damp. Let's feed in the same way as in the open field.

Strawberry spinach for early greens can also be grown in a greenhouse along with radishes and salads. Sow as soon as the ground thaws. With the onset of heat, plant the grown bushes in open ground, making room for heat-loving plants: cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, watermelons, peppers. By the way, in this way, crop rotation is carried out, which is necessary for greenhouses in which one crop is constantly grown.

Pest Control on Strawberry Spinach

Whiteflies and aphids can appear on any plant, both in open and protected ground. Getting rid of these insects is difficult, but possible. Due to the fact that strawberry spinach is used for food from the very beginning of the growing season, it is impossible to process its pesticides. So there are only folk remedies. The simplest is a soapy solution:

Dissolve 30 g of laundry soap or 10 g of tar soap in 1 liter of water.
Spread a film under the bush so that the pests do not fall to the ground and, after processing, do not climb the plant again.
Soak a sponge in the solution and clean the leaves from insects. They live on the reverse side of the leaf and shoots.
Apply a soapy solution to literally every millimeter of the plant, even if you do not see insects there.
Carefully remove the film from under the bush, roll up and discard.
Repeat this treatment every week until a complete cure, until the insects stop appearing.

Soapy water really helps to get rid of small sucking pests, but the treatment must be carried out very carefully and several times.

From the whitefly, additionally hang adhesive tapes They are sold in gardening stores. Such labor costs are justified if you have few bushes of strawberry spinach, you value them, grow them in an apartment, want to try the leaves and berries this season. At in large numbers self-sowing on the site, it is better to tear out diseased plants and take them to the garbage container, leaving only healthy ones. Another option is to treat 3-4 times with pesticides (Karbofos, Aktara) with an interval of 5-7 days. This season you can not eat strawberry spinach, but you will save the culture itself. It will free itself from pests, grow and produce seeds.

When pests infect one plant, also treat neighboring bushes and beds, and when grown in an apartment - everything houseplants and seedlings.