Leafy vegetable, PuinShak, Indian Spinach Cultivars: Local green or red type Life span: 60-150 days, depending on the demand.

1. PuinShak, Indian Spinach
• Basella alba, Basellaceae
Dr A H M Solaiman
Leafy vegetable

2. Indian spinach
• Soil and Climate:
• Sandy loam to clay loam is good for Indian
spinach cultivation. It can be grown in any of
flood free or water logging free soils.

3. • Cultivars:
• Local green or red type
• Life span:
• 60-150 days, depending on the demand.

4. • Sowing time:
• February to May is the perfect time. It is
kharip crop; it can be grown year-round with
the availability of water.
• Seed rate:
• Broadcasting: 3-4 kg/ha
• Line sowing: 1.5-2.5kg

5. • Seeding and also transplanting are followed.
• Seedling raising:
• 05 weeks aged seedlings grown in seedbed
are transplanted in main field. Before sowing
12-24 hrs deeping or soaking in water is
followed for better germination. Seeds are
sowed at a distance of 3-4cm. Seedlings of 100
sq.m2 area can be transplanted to 1 ha of
land.

6. Fertigation
• Urea-
• 480 kg (to be applied in 4 installments)
• 1st: after 7-15 days of germination-120kg
• 2nd after 30-45 days-120kg
• 3rd after first harvest-120kg
• 4th after 2nd harvest-120kg,
• TSP/DAP-150 kg
• MP-
• Basal- 120kg, at last ploughing time
• Top dressed- after 1st harvest-100kg
• Then light irrigation is needed.

7. Land types/landscape/Irrigation:
30cm 30cm 30cm
20cm
20cm
75cm
100 cm
45 cm
45 cm
45 cm
45 cm
45 cm
45 cm
Seed depth-2-4cm
Seed number-2-3 pcs
2 lines in one bed

8. Weeding, earthing up and cutting twigs
• When necessary. When plants become 20-
30cm long, cutting of twigs encourage more
branching. It can be grown in high frame also.
• After cutting, urea and MP fertilizers is
prescribed.
• Plant protection:
• No serious pests or diseases. IPM techniques
should be followed.

9. • Cutting/Harvest:
• Cuttings of spinach with 10-12 twigs are
harvested . Branches can be cut up to
flowering/fruiting.
• Yield:
• 50-80 t/ha