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I have been putting all types of cold weather crops in pots to put into my solar greenhouses this year. Last year I had several hardy crops that kept all winter with no heat except for the stored water. I planted like 3 peas per gallon pot. I have some lettuce and even some climbing purple beans that should product before the real cold! Spinach two types.
Any suggestions on other crops? Has anyone else done this with a solar greenhouse? I have several tomatoes growing inside now with half ripe tomatoes that I hope will produce till it snows! My climbing spinach inside the greenhouse is 6 foot long with lots of leaves to eat! I will grow this every year now its so nice looking and produces big crops! I only have the greenhouse partially covered now till it gets cold!

Climbing spinach? I've never heard of such but love the thought of it. Please tell more and post pics.

It's often called Malabar spinach. It is not actually spinach, not very closely related biologically. It is a tropical vine with sort of spinach shaped leaves that can be used like spinach.

looks about like this:


https://www.frogsncats.com/images/plants ... detail.jpg

Thanks for the pic, Rainbow! It grows fast.. It looks exactly like this pic and the leaves are very tasty!

I'll have to try it. I've been needing a summer green. Are there different varieties of this or they all about the same? Is the taste influenced by soil type or pH?

I am surprised that Amazon sells this spinach!



Amazon.com: red malabar spinach: Patio, Lawn & Garden
Online shopping from a great selection at Patio, Lawn & Garden Store.


https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... z7w4fmgl_b

Malabar spinach has nice purple fruit too. You do need to be careful not to over cook it or it gets slimy. I prefer NZ spinach instead. It is a hot weather spinach substitute that is also a rampant vine, but it is not nearly as slimy.

I want to try NZ spinach.

Malabar spinach is easy to grow and the red stemmed one which is also the one I have is beautiful with cute clusters of pink/white flowers, then the purple fruit. Very decorative in an edible landscape. It self seeds and comes back every spring here.

I have heard that there is a green stemmed variety as well, but I think I read that the red-stemmed one tastes better. Leaves are not entirely good for eating fresh because of the slime-factor, but works and tastes fine in soups and stir fries and such.

Imafan, were you implying that you can eat the fruits? I haven't tried. The tiny (1/4"?) fruits make intense red-purple juice. I've often wondered if you could make a dye with them.

Bumped in to this and thought I would mention. I now have malabar spinach growing in a container that earlier in the season had potato plants. I did not plant it there and I didn't even grow any this year. So apparently there was a seed still in there from some previous year and when I turned all the soil to harvest the potatoes out of it, it got brought to the surface!

One of the potato containers now has a nice thriving potato plant growing in it. A little potato must have gotten left behind. But of course it doesn't have time to make potatoes now and it won't make it through the winter.

Can you bring it down to the basement or maybe put it up against house and cover? Or do you think there's no way? If you can put it somewhere so the potting mix and tubers inside won't freeze, this might have a head start on anything you plant in spring.

Do you remember the fall planted potatoes thread with link to an article by a Pa. Master Gardener? I'll try to "dig it up"