Bathua
Chenopodium album
Bathua is a fast-growing winter leafy green with dusty, pale green leaves, cooked in saag, raita and parathas in north India and as bethua shak in Bengal. It often grows wild in wheat fields and is very easy to grow.
Photo: Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Water when the top of the soil dries.
Soil
Most soils; prefers fertile, well-drained loam. pH 6.0–8.0.
Temperature and humidity
5–30 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Light feeding with compost.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Pinch tips for a bushier plant; remove flower heads to prolong leaf harvest.
Safe when cooked. Like spinach, it contains oxalates, so eat it in moderation and avoid plants from heavily fertilized fields.
Top Cultivation Tips
Sow in October–November.
Pick young tops for the most tender leaves.
It self-seeds readily; remove seed heads if not wanted.
Blanch leaves before making raita.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →DiseaseDowny mildew
A water-mould disease that causes yellow patches on top of leaves and grey-purple fuzz underneath, spreading fast in cool, wet weather.
How to treat it →PestLeaf miners
Larvae of small flies and moths that tunnel inside leaves, leaving pale, winding trails.
How to treat it →
