Hey David! I ran into you at tree amigos today. Ive already been subscribed and watching your videos! Keep up the great work! Nice meeting you today. I gotta check out your iguana video tho
Great to meet you too! You probably already found it, but here's the more concise video, and instead of bird netting, you could use tulle fabric. Fauna tends to get caught up in the bird netting. ua-cam.com/video/zfwGg-z_rsc/v-deo.html I hope that helps!
I used to eat Chaya in Honduras and it was soft like spinach. I had a plant in South Texas and it was tough to eat even the baby leaves. The one in Honduras looked full like maple leaf and the one in Texas looked like papaya leaf.
Thank you for sharing your experience. That's good to know about the termites. I would get some younger plants started, and once they're large enough to harvest what you need, take the old tree. Would that help?
I have 9 varieties of spinach growing right now. All perennials. I've recently been looking at chaya to add to the mix. They all have wonderful health benefits. Thanks for sharing the video. Looks like I'll be ordering that chaya cutting after all 💜 happy growing 💜
What's the defference between the two chaya types. The one in front yard used as a landscaping, is so pretty. I have the other kind. I've that for 2 year already, haven't tried yet. I am slow, i will try one day. It is also suggested that don't mix fruit and vegetables together in smoothies, it will cause fermentation. What do you think?
You're talking about the two common varieties, right? The Deeply-lobed one is like super showy and totally attracts butterflies. The Maple leaf one is a bit fuller and more tender. Although I don't really notice a difference once the leaves are cooked and in the smoothies. I've been making green smoothies since 2010, throwing in a mix of fruits and veggies. Fermentation once ingested? I've never heard that. I've had them ferment in the fridge if one of the ingredients was on the edge of going bad, and the smoothie has been in the fridge too long.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest The Harmonic Reactor Marina mentioned in her Detox videos to seperate green juice and fruit juice, she made 40 oz green juice and 32 oz fruit juice for a day. Take a break after you have a cup of green juice, maybe an hour, then have fruit juice. Fruit juice ferment faster than green juice, if mixed it deplete nutrients in green juice.
How thick of a trunk does a spinach tree have when it's about 6 foot? I have one in a pot and the trunk is about the size of an adult's finger. Does a newly planted one need staking? What direction should it face? (NSEW).. I live in central Texas and the weather turns from Winter to Summer in a matter of hours. Very few days of Spring and Autumn. The wind is unpredictable. Thanks for helping me out - This is a first for me
Is it the deeply lobed variety? I'd say stake it if it needs support. But the deeply lobed is pretty hardy, and shouldn't need it. The Jumbo leaf easily gets top heavy and needs support, topping off. I just had large portions of it break off after heavy rains.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thanks for responding. It is a little over 5' and I got it as a sapling in April - 6" tall. It seems to be very delicate with light green leaves and pink top leaves. Wish I could describe it better. Because of the video, I will repot it in a very large pot! Our ground is very rocky and I can't dig holes.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thank you for responding. I got this sapling in April when it was about 6" tall and it is now over 5'. She has light green leaves and pink topper leaves and looks very delicate and frail. So - I really don't know what type it is. Because of this video, I will be transplanting it to a very large pot. I cannot plant it in the ground because I can't dig through rock. Thanks again.
what about chaya tea? I was drying the leaves for this purpose but then found out it needs cooked. So should I brew the dried leaves longer or just use that in soups?.
Great question! Dehydrating the leaves will not deactivate the toxic compounds. And simply brewing or steeping the leaves longer isn't enough either. I would boil the leaves for at least 5 minutes, like I demonstrated with fresh leaves. You could then strain the leaves for a soup, and drink your tea. I use the broth in a tea, which I add to my green smoothies.
Great question! Some say to dumb the broth, but according to USAID, and other sources, it is safe to drink. I also use it in my green smoothies. I should do a follow-up video about this. Thank you for watching! Happy gardening! 🌿
In Zanzibar i have grown it in my garden. It's very very easy to grow and it makes a beautiful fence strange thing is that we have been consuming it since 2023 and this year we are told its concerous how true is this ?
@@babiryewarda20 I've never been to Zanzibar, but I've lived in Dodoma, Tanzania for 3 months. Also, I was born in Nairobi. That explains my African art. 🇹🇿🇰🇪 Chaya can be consumed in small doses with no problems, but it's well known to be toxic otherwise without being cooked. It might be possible that you have a variety that is less toxic.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thank you for sharing info. I just ordered two cutting sticks from Florida for planting. I read about it that it has a lot of good stuffs in it.
I live in Europe and it's hard to order chaya, can i order jumbo leaf from somewhere please? I have one deeply lobed variety but i'm looking for a variety with less lobes, like three or less.
Great question! I intended to cover that in this video. Some people recommend throwing it out. I was using it as fertilizer after diluting it. But after reading a couple reputable sources, I'm comfortable with using it with soups, in my green smoothies, or even drink. Both USAID and an Australian university, the University of Adelaide, have downloadable PDF's on this.
I've eaten it raw, but more than a very small quantity can be dangerous. I've heard a leaf in a day is safe, but I can only recommend cooking it properly, as I demonstrated. Happy gardening! 🌿
There are two points I wanted to make in the video, but didn't because I wanted to keep this episode as brief as possible: 1) What to do with the Chaya broth - I've been using it as a fertilizer once I dilute it. But according to USAID, Chaya broth not only safe, but highly nutritious in soups and I started using some in my green smoothies. 2) Chaya is cold sensitive. It dies back during our fall and winter months. If you're in a colder climate, I recommend starting cuttings indoors before you're first frost. I do have Chaya available for local pickup. I'm not setup for shipping. Finally, I wanted to mention that liking, commenting, and sharing videos really do play a major role in helping content creators like myself reach a wider audience. Your engagement on UA-cam can have a positive impact and contribute to the growth of the channel. But I totally get that everyone has their own preferences and comfort levels when it comes to social platform engagement. Let's grow together! 🌿
Hey David! I ran into you at tree amigos today. Ive already been subscribed and watching your videos! Keep up the great work! Nice meeting you today. I gotta check out your iguana video tho
Great to meet you too!
You probably already found it, but here's the more concise video, and instead of bird netting, you could use tulle fabric. Fauna tends to get caught up in the bird netting.
ua-cam.com/video/zfwGg-z_rsc/v-deo.html
I hope that helps!
My family back in the Philippines loves this plant. My mother makes a coconut soup with mixed vegetables, including chaya.
Nice! It's amazing to me how so few Americans are aware of many tropical fruits and veggies, when in many countries, it's all common knowledge!
I volunteered on a farm in Honduras a while back and we practically lived off of this stuff, I love it!!
@@UptightDookie Nice! I'm curious, which variety did they have growing? Or varieties?
@@StacksUrbanHarvest not sure of the name but it had leaves with 5 points :)
@@UptightDookie Maybe the Maple leaf Chaya.
I used to eat Chaya in Honduras and it was soft like spinach. I had a plant in South Texas and it was tough to eat even the baby leaves. The one in Honduras looked full like maple leaf and the one in Texas looked like papaya leaf.
Thank you for sharing your experience. That's good to know about the termites.
I would get some younger plants started, and once they're large enough to harvest what you need, take the old tree. Would that help?
I live in Vietnam, thank you for sharing your experience!
Wow! Thank you for watching! I'm glad to hear from viewers in other countries. Happy gardening! 🌿
I have 9 varieties of spinach growing right now. All perennials. I've recently been looking at chaya to add to the mix. They all have wonderful health benefits. Thanks for sharing the video. Looks like I'll be ordering that chaya cutting after all 💜 happy growing 💜
@@JCC_1975 If you happen to live nearby, you're welcome to pickup cuttings. I'm in Broward county of S. Florida.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest thank you 💜 I wish I lived nearby. I'm an hour north of ATL. I'd definitely be willing to pay for shipping if you're willing.
Sorry, I'm not set up for shipping, and Chaya is a subtropical plant. Unless you have a heated greenhouse, Chaya wouldn't survive your winter.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest I do have a heated greenhouse. I've got lots of subtropical and tropical plants I over winter. Thanks anyway 💜 happy growing 💜
LOVE this‼️ I wish I had the maple tree variety. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed this! Where are you located?
@@StacksUrbanHarvest I'm sending you a PM now. We're in the same gardening group for S. Florida. :-)
@@ImASurvivorNThriver I don't see a PM from you. It might be easiest to send it to my personal FB account under David Stack.
Hi Thank you ❤❤❤
I would LOVE to find a way to get this food normalized in our area so that we could take it to food banks. It is so abundant!
Yes. It's a shame that it's not normalized by now. It's such an amazing plant!
What's the defference between the two chaya types. The one in front yard used as a landscaping, is so pretty. I have the other kind. I've that for 2 year already, haven't tried yet. I am slow, i will try one day.
It is also suggested that don't mix fruit and vegetables together in smoothies, it will cause fermentation. What do you think?
You're talking about the two common varieties, right? The Deeply-lobed one is like super showy and totally attracts butterflies. The Maple leaf one is a bit fuller and more tender. Although I don't really notice a difference once the leaves are cooked and in the smoothies.
I've been making green smoothies since 2010, throwing in a mix of fruits and veggies. Fermentation once ingested? I've never heard that. I've had them ferment in the fridge if one of the ingredients was on the edge of going bad, and the smoothie has been in the fridge too long.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest The Harmonic Reactor Marina mentioned in her Detox videos to seperate green juice and fruit juice, she made 40 oz green juice and 32 oz fruit juice for a day. Take a break after you have a cup of green juice, maybe an hour, then have fruit juice. Fruit juice ferment faster than green juice, if mixed it deplete nutrients in green juice.
How thick of a trunk does a spinach tree have when it's about 6 foot? I have one in a pot and the trunk is about the size of an adult's finger. Does a newly planted one need staking? What direction should it face? (NSEW).. I live in central Texas and the weather turns from Winter to Summer in a matter of hours. Very few days of Spring and Autumn. The wind is unpredictable. Thanks for helping me out - This is a first for me
Is it the deeply lobed variety? I'd say stake it if it needs support. But the deeply lobed is pretty hardy, and shouldn't need it. The Jumbo leaf easily gets top heavy and needs support, topping off. I just had large portions of it break off after heavy rains.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thanks for responding. It is a little over 5' and I got it as a sapling in April - 6" tall. It seems to be very delicate with light green leaves and pink top leaves. Wish I could describe it better. Because of the video, I will repot it in a very large pot! Our ground is very rocky and I can't dig holes.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thank you for responding. I got this sapling in April when it was about 6" tall and it is now over 5'. She has light green leaves and pink topper leaves and looks very delicate and frail. So - I really don't know what type it is. Because of this video, I will be transplanting it to a very large pot. I cannot plant it in the ground because I can't dig through rock. Thanks again.
@@lindaread5724 If you email me a photo of it at urbanharvest@gardener.com I can tell you what variety it is.
what about chaya tea? I was drying the leaves for this purpose but then found out it needs cooked. So should I brew the dried leaves longer or just use that in soups?.
Great question! Dehydrating the leaves will not deactivate the toxic compounds. And simply brewing or steeping the leaves longer isn't enough either. I would boil the leaves for at least 5 minutes, like I demonstrated with fresh leaves. You could then strain the leaves for a soup, and drink your tea. I use the broth in a tea, which I add to my green smoothies.
Can you drink the cooked chaya water as tea? Does toxin still stay in cooked water or evaporates away during boiling?
Great question! Some say to dumb the broth, but according to USAID, and other sources, it is safe to drink. I also use it in my green smoothies. I should do a follow-up video about this.
Thank you for watching! Happy gardening! 🌿
In Zanzibar i have grown it in my garden. It's very very easy to grow and it makes a beautiful fence strange thing is that we have been consuming it since 2023 and this year we are told its concerous how true is this ?
@@babiryewarda20 I've never been to Zanzibar, but I've lived in Dodoma, Tanzania for 3 months. Also, I was born in Nairobi. That explains my African art. 🇹🇿🇰🇪
Chaya can be consumed in small doses with no problems, but it's well known to be toxic otherwise without being cooked.
It might be possible that you have a variety that is less toxic.
@StacksUrbanHarvest wow that's great I was born in Uganda, raised in 🇰🇪 then 🇺🇬 and married in 🇹🇿. Small world .
@@babiryewarda20 Yes it is! Jambo sana!
You grow one tree in house? You eat chaya very often? Is it safe to eat often?
If I were in a cold climate I would grow inside during the winter, then bring out after the frost.
During the warmer months I have a lot of it in my green smoothies every day. So yes, I have it often.
@@StacksUrbanHarvest Thank you for sharing info. I just ordered two cutting sticks from Florida for planting. I read about it that it has a lot of good stuffs in it.
@@ongv2491 Great! Yes, it's so nutritious. Just make sure you cook it for at least 5 minutes, as I showed. Enjoy!
I live in Europe and it's hard to order chaya, can i order jumbo leaf from somewhere please?
I have one deeply lobed variety but i'm looking for a variety with less lobes, like three or less.
I don't know if they ship out of the US, but try Cody Cove Farms. codycovefarm.com/
@@StacksUrbanHarvest thanks, i will try.
Did you throw the water you boiled or you drank it? Is it safe for drinking?
Great question! I intended to cover that in this video. Some people recommend throwing it out. I was using it as fertilizer after diluting it. But after reading a couple reputable sources, I'm comfortable with using it with soups, in my green smoothies, or even drink.
Both USAID and an Australian university, the University of Adelaide, have downloadable PDF's on this.
In Indonesia, some people just eat it raw!! And they say it's good! 🙂
I've eaten it raw, but more than a very small quantity can be dangerous. I've heard a leaf in a day is safe, but I can only recommend cooking it properly, as I demonstrated.
Happy gardening! 🌿
Cook it with coconut milk will make it even better!
@@Resazadini Thanks for the tip!
My chaya leaf look different.
@@begumibrahim1858 Can you send me a photo of it? You could use either my Facebook Messenger or urbanharvest@gardener.com
@@begumibrahim1858 You can also find me on IG: stacks.urban.harvest
I from Bangladesh. I need a italy agriculture job or farm work job..could you help me..
Sorry, I can't help you with that. I'm un the US, and have no connections to Italian ag. I wish you the best with your search.
There are two points I wanted to make in the video, but didn't because I wanted to keep this episode as brief as possible:
1) What to do with the Chaya broth - I've been using it as a fertilizer once I dilute it. But according to USAID, Chaya broth not only safe, but highly nutritious in soups and I started using some in my green smoothies.
2) Chaya is cold sensitive. It dies back during our fall and winter months. If you're in a colder climate, I recommend starting cuttings indoors before you're first frost.
I do have Chaya available for local pickup. I'm not setup for shipping.
Finally, I wanted to mention that liking, commenting, and sharing videos really do play a major role in helping content creators like myself reach a wider audience. Your engagement on UA-cam can have a positive impact and contribute to the growth of the channel. But I totally get that everyone has their own preferences and comfort levels when it comes to social platform engagement.
Let's grow together! 🌿