When to Plant NZ Spinach in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This NZ Spinach guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jan to Feb, Sep to Nov
- Days to harvest
- 55 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
New Zealand spinach, also known as warrigal greens or Botany Bay greens, is an Australian and New Zealand native plant that produces thick, succulent-like triangular leaves with a spinach-like flavour.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
- Jan S
- Feb T/D
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep S
- Oct S/T/D
- Nov T
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow NZ Spinach in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Tolerates a wide range of soils including poor, sandy, and slightly saline conditions. Performs best in well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Does not need rich soil.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun in most zones. Part shade in extreme heat (arid, tropical). Tolerates coastal salt spray.
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 90cm between rows
- Watering
- Very drought tolerant once established. Water weekly in dry weather for best leaf production. Tolerates neglect. Overwatering in heavy soil can cause root rot.
- Good companions
- Pumpkin (as ground cover beneath tall crops), Tomato, Sweet Corn
- Keep away from
- No known antagonists. Very easygoing companion.
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for NZ Spinach
Recommended Varieties
- Standard Tetragonia tetragonioides
Key Challenges
- Needs some irrigation despite drought tolerance
- Extreme heat (>42C) may slow growth
Pro Tips
- The best leafy green for arid conditions bar none
- Genuinely drought-tolerant once established; weekly watering sufficient
- Tolerates poor, sandy, even slightly saline soils
Pests and problems for NZ Spinach in Arid / Semi-Arid
- Aphids and Mildew Moderate
- Root Rot Ensure well-drained soil. Don't overwater. Raise beds in heavy clay. NZ spinach is inherently drought-tolerant; respect this. Watch
Organic prevention (Aphids): Healthy, unstressed plants rarely attract significant aphid populations.
Harvesting NZ Spinach
When ready: Growing tips and leaves are plump, fresh, and dark green. Harvest when tips are 8-15cm long. Younger leaves are more tender.
How to harvest: Pinch or cut growing tips (last 5-10cm) including 3-4 leaves. This encourages branching and more production. Never strip all leaves from a stem.
Storing and preserving nz spinach
How to keep it
- Blanching and Freezing. CRITICAL: NZ spinach MUST be blanched before eating or freezing to remove oxalates. Blanch tips in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Plunge into ice bath. Drain, squeeze, pack into freezer bags. Keeps: 8-12 months.
- Blanch and Use Fresh. Blanch 30-60 seconds in boiling water. Ice bath. Use immediately as cooked green in any recipe calling for spinach. Texture is thicker and more succulent than spinach. Keeps: 3-4 days refrigerated after blanching.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About NZ Spinach
When do you plant nz spinach in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Aug to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan, Sep to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Oct to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jan to Feb, Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jan to Mar, Sep to Dec
Can you grow nz spinach all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Jan to Feb, Sep to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant NZ Spinach in Alice Springs?
Sow from September to November, and again in January and February. Thrives in heat and tolerates dry conditions better than any other leafy green.
What soil temperature do NZ Spinach need?
NZ Spinach germinate best when soil temperature is between 15°C and 25°C.
How do I know when NZ Spinach are ready to harvest?
Growing tips and leaves are plump, fresh, and dark green. Harvest when tips are 8-15cm long. Younger leaves are more tender.
What are the best NZ Spinach varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: Standard Tetragonia tetragonioides.
What grows well with NZ Spinach?
Good companion plants for NZ Spinach include: Pumpkin, Tomato, Sweet Corn.
Are nz spinach salt tolerant?
Only a little. Nz spinach are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.