Orach
Atriplex hortensis
Also known asOrache · Mountain spinach · French spinach · Garden orache · Saltbush · Red orach
Environment
The bounded range this crop tolerates.
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 4–9 (winter low around -34°C)
- Frost
- tolerates light frost
- Season
- cool (spring/fall)
Growing systems
Root mass: moderate.
Growing media
| Medium | pH effect | Retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded clay pebbles (LECA) | neutral / inert | low | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies | high | high |
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.7 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 |
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible
Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth. Supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
An easy, fast, visually striking hydroponic leafy green. EC 1.2-2.0 mS/cm. pH 6.0-8.0 (salt-tolerant and handles alkaline conditions better than most greens). Temperature: 10–26°C (wider heat tolerance than true spinach). Moderate light (DLI 14-20 mol/m2/day). Any hydroponic system works. From seed to baby leaf: 3-4 weeks. Full-sized: 6-8 weeks. Harvest young leaves for salad, where the red and purple varieties add strong colour; older leaves are better cooked, sauteed like spinach, though the colour of red orach bleeds into the cooking liquid much like beet. The plant grows tall, so pinch the growing tip at about 30 cm to encourage bushy lateral growth if space is tight. Succession plant every 3 weeks. It self-seeds aggressively outdoors. For commercial salad-mix growers, red and purple orach is one of the most visually impactful additions, with a deep magenta colour that is real rather than dyed and rare among leafy greens, which supports premium pricing.
Notable varieties
| Cultivar | Type | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magenta Magic | open pollinated | 45 | Deep magenta-purple leaves and stems, the most ornamental of the orachs. Holds color through the season instead of fading green in heat. Common in cut-flower and edible-landscape mixes as much as kitchen gardens. |
| Aurora | open pollinated | 45 | Mixed-color seed strain producing green, gold, pink, and red plants from one packet. Useful for visual variety in a salad bed; flavor is identical across colors. |
| Golden | open pollinated | 45 | Pure chartreuse-yellow leaves on green stems. Bolts slightly faster than the red types but the color is striking. Loses some intensity in deep shade. |
| Triple Purple | open pollinated | 50 | Selection bred for the deepest, most uniform purple of the cultivated orachs. Less variation from plant to plant than Magenta Magic. Stalks are striking in late-summer floral arrangements. |