How to Grow Spinach

Image taken from qwickstep.com

Spinach is a leafy green that is commonly used in salads. There are several varieties of spinach that range from dark and crinkly/curled leaves, to broad and flat, or even with a touch of red! It is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can grow in your garden.


Timing is Everything: With any vegetable, you want to find out when your first and last frosts of the year will be. Most planting schedules are based off this, as well as your Climate Zone. Click here to find your Climate Zone

http://www.backyardgardener.com/zone/index.html Spinach is a cool-weather vegetable so you want to begin sowing in your garden in early spring; 4-6 weeks before your last frost. Successive planting can be done every 3 weeks until about a month before your first frost. if you have mild winters, sowing can be done in late summer, early fall. If you live in very warm climates, spinach can be grown all year long! If you are starting seedlings indoors, plant about 6-8 weeks before your last frost, then transplant 4 weeks before.


Location Location Location!: Spinach likes full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. In warmer regions, spinach can be grown under larger veggies like tomatoes or pole beans so they are partially shaded. Make sure you plant in a well drained soil. Spinach seed also requires high levels of nitrogen, so if you are using a fertilizer with your spinach, grab one with lots of nitrogen! (there are usually 3 numbers on your fertilizer bags that look like this 0-0-0, the first number is your nitrogen level)


Depth and Spacing: Seeds should be planted about 1/2 inch deep and about 1 inch apart. If you are planting in rows, put about 12 inches between each row. Begin thinning your seedlings when they are about 1-2 inches tall. Check your seeds for thinning instructions; depending on variety, plants can be anywhere from 4-12 inches apart. Don't just throw your seedlings out! Use them in a salad! Here's a quick video from ehowgarden on YouTube.com with helpful tips on planting your spinach seeds!


TLC: Keep your spinach moist but not soggy. When watering, try to avoid watering the actual leaves. Using a watering can helps in keeping your soil moist, but your leaves dry!

Friends: Plant your spinach with cabbage, beets, eggplant, chives, garlic, onions, peas, radishes, strawberries and mint.

Foes: Keep your spinach away from potatoes.

Reaping What You Sow: You can either pick the outside leaves as they grow big enough to use, or cut the entire plant 1-3 inches from the base. New leaves will continue to grow. Spinach will be ready for harvest from 40-50 days after planting. It is best to eat your spinach within a couple days after harvesting otherwise they begin to lose their nutrients and taste.