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Author Bio Biographical statement from the author of Growing and Selling Fresh Cut Herbs.

Growing and Selling
Fresh-Cut Herbs
Looking for a great gift for that favorite gardener? Here you'll find out where to buy this book or how to
order it online.

Herb of the
Month
Check here each
month for a new herb, featuring: growing,
care and uses.

Questions and Answers
Send your questions to the author by e-mail. They will be answered personally and may be included on this page for others to read.

Links
Here you can order Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs, see media and book reviewers' comments, check out herb organizations, and visit sites that sell herb seeds, plants, packaging, etc.

Reviews
Read here to find out what readers have to say about Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs

Herb of the Month

Over the next year, the herb of the month feature will focus on those unusual herbs that a professional grower may occasionally be asked to supply.  These profiles are supplied by Herbalpedia

Malabar Spinach

Basella alba
Perennial
a tender and fast growing tropical vine growing up to 30 feet

         Cultivation: Start the plant indoors in individual pots 8-10 weeks before the date of the last frost and transplant outdoors when the night temperature has warmed to 58F or above.  Seed may also be direct-sown when the soil has warmed.  Plant it 1 inch deep at the foot of a 3-6 foot trellis, crossed and tied bean poles, or at the base of a fence, and thin the seedlings 6-12 inches apart. Seed can also be sown in a 5-10 gallon container set with a short trellis.  In a heated greenhouse it will grow as a perennial for several years.  Very susceptible to frost.  It prefers a well-amended, moisture-retentive, rich soil with plenty of manure.  Grow in full sun, but in hot weather climates provide afternoon shade.  It does well with regular feedings of nitrogen-rich fertilizer throughout the growing season. Gathering may begin 12 weeks after planting; cut 3-5 inches from the tip of the branches, which encourages succulent new growth and produces a lush and beautiful twining vine. It is easily propagated from stem cuttings.  Seeds are viable for 5 years.

Culinary Uses: Malabar spinach is a successful replacement in any recipe that calls for spinach, including all the classics: spinach soup, soufflés, quiche, omelettes, frittatas, and with a little butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  It can be cooked like chard but with more substance. Like okra, it has a mucilaginous quality when cooked at length.  An infusion of the leaves is a tea substitute. The purplish sap from the fruit is used as a food coloring in pastries and sweets. The color is enhanced by adding some lemon juice

     Click here to see a preview of the Table of Contents for Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs. Click here to see archived Herb of the Month pages.

The comprehensive revised edition of Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs is now available from most internet booksellers, bookstores, and in libraries. It can be ordered from the publisher, Ball Publishing  Ball Bookshelf - Detail  and the distributor, Independent Publishers Group  Independent Publishers Group

E-mail your questions, tips or suggestions.
I look forward to hearing from you.

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