Chinese mallow and relatives - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 103

Chinese mallow seeds
The aibika ( Abelmoschus manihot ) is another edible mallow family plant. Here is one flowering in front of the pavilion at
the Arche Noah display gardens.
GROWING FOR SEED Plants are easy to grow, and seed can be broadcast or planted in rows in early
spring, as soon as the ground is clear. Leaves can be harvested as soon as the plants are 8-10 in.
(20-25 cm) tall. When plants are regularly cut back, they can be harvested throughout the entire grow-
ing season. Allow at least five plants to go to seed. Flowering plants can grow to be over 6 ft. (2 m)
tall. Chinese mallow will self-sow, producing dense, lawn-like growth on the ground below.
HARVEST The seeds are in hard rings that are covered by a husk. Plants produce seeds prolifically, and
these ripen relatively uniformly and hold on to the plant well. Seed stalks can all be cut at the same
time. Dry stalks, thresh and winnow seed. Seeds tend to stick to one another; a seed-cleaning machine
can be helpful to separate seeds from leaves and one another.