Growing Molokhia (Egyptian Spinach): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
Molokhia solves a problem most of the greens in this dataset have: it produces through high summer, when spinach, lettuce and chard have long since given up.
Wait for warm soil, then keep cutting
University of Minnesota Extension says to wait until the soil is 65°F before sowing outdoors, and to barely cover the seed. That patience matters; sown into cold ground it germinates poorly, and the seed is small enough that consistent germination outdoors is difficult regardless.
Harvest starts around 40 days. For a bed you are picking from continuously rather than cutting whole, space plants 6 to 12 inches apart, take the top shoots and young leaves, and the plant branches and regrows. That cycle runs every two to three weeks for the rest of the summer.
It gets big if you let it
Left uncut it reaches three to five feet, so it belongs on the north edge of a bed. Regular cutting keeps it lower and bushier, which is both the harvest and the maintenance.
What it does in the pot
Cooked, the leaves release a mucilage that thickens the liquid around them, in the way okra does. That texture is the entire point of the Egyptian soup it is named for, and it is also the reason people who were not expecting it are surprised. Chopping the leaves finely before cooking makes it more pronounced, not less.
Source: University of Minnesota Extension, growing staple vegetables from around the world.
Companion planting guide for Molokhia (Egyptian Spinach) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 4-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Molokhia (Egyptian Spinach) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Molokhia (Egyptian Spinach) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 3-5 ft.
Where to buy molokhia seeds
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing molokhia (egyptian spinach)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Molokhia (Egyptian Spinach): A leafy green that thrives in the heat that makes spinach and lettuce bolt, cut repeatedly through summer.
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