Hi. As many of my fellow Texans already know, it has really been cold lately. We've been dipping into the 20s at night. This is below normal, so hopefully it will warm up soon. I'm sure Northerners get a good laugh at what we call cold.
I want to try NZ spinach in 2010 and my main question is if it will return from the roots in the spring after being killed back by frosts and freezes during the winter. It's listed as a perennial on some sites and an annual on others or "treated" as an annual. Our ground doesn't freeze around here, which allows planting a very diverse variety of plants. I'm aware that NZ spinach seeds freely, but I'm more interested in whether or not it will return from the roots. I'm very interested in perennial veggies and planning to try many next season. We'll actually be planting onion sets the first week of January. Thank you.
Does anyone have experience with New Zealand Spinach in TX?
I have had seeds overwinter and pop in spring but I havent had any come back. This is only my second year.
I am growing kale and chard as year round food. They have yet to freeze back or die back in summer heat. I hear you get 2-3 good years out of them. Borage isnt perennial but they will reseed so much that your yard will be full of them every year.
You could also try growing trees that have edible leaves like Toona Sinensis/Cedrela Sinensis. This is a delicacy in China and very beautiful tree. I bet a tree could produce more leaves than you could eat. However, they are supposed to replace chives so they would only be good for cooking or salads in limited amounts.
I've grown NZ spinach off and on for years. We love it!, It may come back next spring but it doesn't really do much. I just pull up the roots when it's all finished and plant new seeds in the spring. I'm in zone 8b.,,,,,,,,,,,,
I have found Malabar Spinach to be a more prolific warm weather substitute. You wont have to worry about seeds for the next year as they produce A LOT.