Planting Tips For Beginners - Red Orach | Aplus Farms
Arange of leafy vegetable crops in the garden means there's always something tasty, freshand packed with nourishment to harvest and add to a meal. Pinach and silver beet are good crops for leafy harvest but there are many others to add interest and colour to the garden and the plate.
One of these is a relative of spinach known as red orach and, though it may seem unfamiliar, it's a leafy plant you may want to grow – particularly through winter as it is not damaged by frost or cold.
"A Relative of australian native saltbush, red orach has vibrant ruby leaves and grows into a tall shrub up to 1.8m high and wide"
Growing
Red orach is very handsome and fast growing. A relative of Australian native saltbush, it has vibrant ruby leaves and grows into a tall shrub up to 1.8m high and wide – smaller if regularly harvested. Both the leaves and young stems can be eaten raw or steamed, much like spinach. The salty leaves are rich in nutrients, particularly minerals including calcium and potassium. It is also grown as sprouts.
This plant fits well into an ornamental garden bed and there are varieties with leaves that vary from red or purple to bright pink. 'Ruby Red' has dark red leaves that mature to red green. There are also forms of this vegetable with green to chartreuse leaves. Planting a combination of different leaf colours can create a striking garden feature.
Growing Fast
- Red orach is grown from seed, which is sown in autumn, late winter, spring or even into summer.
- Cool-season sowings in spring or autumn are best for warm zones.
- As it naturalises if left to flower and seed, if it likes the conditions in Backyard garden.
- Probably find it will pop up all around the garden.
Planting Tips and Tricks
Native to Europe, red orach was popular in ancient Greece but in later times fell from favour - or maybe flavour. Italians once used the leaves to colour pasta.
Scientific
- Common names: Red orach (or orache), mountain spinach
- Botanical name: Atriplex hortensis var. rubra
- Family: Amaranthaceae (formerly Chenopodiaceae)
- Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
- Best climate: All
- Habit: Annual leaf vegetable
- Propagation: Seed
- Difficulty: Easy