Wet Season Greens

The wet season is again upon us and many gardens are looking a little sad. However, we have had our first decent storm and the ground is softened so instead of letting weeds grow there are several very nutritious plants that can fill the garden beds and provide us with fresh greens for salads or cooking, and at the same time protect the soil and keep weeds in check.

Some are familiar plants, but we are not used to eating the leaves, in particular Okra and Rosella.  The young leaves of these two plants are tasty and nutritious and the more you pick and use them the stronger the plant becomes.

Another familiar is sweet potato, again the young leaves are delicious and can be added to salads or curries. An added advantage of growing lots of sweet potato in this season is that it creates a dense groundcover that protects the soil from searing heat and torrential rain, it also suppress weeds and the tubers help to break up hard ground.  Sweet potato don’t require too much water or attention but can be very handy when the fridge is empty and shops are shut.

Then there is another group of plants that are new to people from the southern softer climates.  These are plants referred to as spinach I think mainly because they can be used in the same way as silver beet and English spinach.

The three we have growing are :

Surinam,sometimes known as Talinam spinach.

 This is also known as water leaf. It seems to love humidity and once you have it in your garden it is there for life.  It grows nicely during the dry but in the wet season it can take over the garden which is not a bad thing as apart from being a tasty nutritious green

vegetable it is a wonderful ground cover protecting the soil and other more delicate plants like parsley that seems to thrive in proximity. It has pretty pink edible flowers and will grow easily from cuttings.  It is also an amazing food for chickens and ducks, so worthwhile to plant around the edge of the chicken yard so they can feast on the leaves and not scratch out the roots.  There is a FB page called ‘the talinam project’ if you would like more information

Brazilian / Sissoo spinach 

I have found this plant takes a while to settle into a spot but once established it flourishes.  It seems to like rich soil in a moist shady area and can handle a bit of sun once it is established.  It has survived the dry season but loves the wet.  Like spinach there is oxalic acid in its make up so should only be eaten raw in small amounts and steam or sauté or add to stir fry.  If serving with pasta I often slip it into the pasta water towards the end of cooking.

An internet search will throw up further nutrition details and cooking suggestions.

Chinese Water Spinach/ Kang kong/ Morning Glory.

This well-known plant is a staple of most Asian cuisines, it grows throughout the year but is another plant that seems happy in high heat and humidity.  Stems can be started in water and transplanted once the roots start forming a mass.  This does not take long.  It is mild tasting but high in iron.  It is best to constantly pick and use the new leaves so the plant becomes bushy.

And then there is the Diabetes plant – Gynura procumbens

Another perennial plant that seems to love heat and humidity.  It is worth looking up to see the benefits of consuming even a few leaves a day.  It originates in Asia and Africa
The benefits apparently include balancing blood sugar and cholesterol and it is known in many places as the longevity plant. 

It is pleasant tasting to eat raw but if you have plenty it is excellent for adding to stews and curries

Lastly another excellent easy to grow wet season vege is Green Amaranth

Both the green and its sister Red Amaranth produce literally millions of seeds, these can be ground and used for flour or popped like popcorn. The green leaves are tasty and nutritious and the more you pick the stronger the plant grows. Seedlings of all these plants are available at Windjana Wellness.