Great Guide To Growing Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Usually thought of as being packed with iron, spinach is even higher in vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium and folic acid, which is one of the B complex vitamins. Spinach, like most dark green leafy vegetables, also contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and it tastes great eaten fresh or cooked.

All spinach is grown for its dark green leaves. While there are many different spinach varieties with an assortment of leaf shapes and textures, spinach is usually divided into 2 major categories: Smooth Leaf and Savoy, with darker, thicker, crinkled leaves. Since they’ve been crossbred so much, it’s often hard to categorize them. Small-leafed spinach, or baby spinach, has gained in popularity recently. These are not necessarily immature spinach leaves, but varieties that simply don’t get large.

Growing Spinach

Spinach prefers a well-drained soil with a neutral pH and won’t be happy in a pH lower than 6.0. Because it is such a fast grower, it is also a heavy feeder. A fertilizer that is excessive in nitrogen, the first number on the fertilizer package, will aid and produce dark, healthy leaves. Fish emulsion and soy meal are good organic choices.

You can start growing spinach indoors or direct-seeded in the garden as soon as the soil is workable. Spinach grows quite quickly, so don’t start plants indoors more than a 2-3 weeks before you plant to transplant them out. Spinach also matures and goes to seed quickly, so it is better to re-seed every couple of weeks than to try and plant a large crop to harvest over time.

Fall and Winter Growing

Spinach also grows well in the cool, short days of fall. Start seeding again in the beginning of August. Keep the seedlings shaded and watered in the summer heat, and they should be ready to harvest beginning in September.

You can continue sowing spinach seeds late into the fall season. In warmer climates, it’s possible to harvest generously into winter. If the ground freezes before the plants mature, mulch them with hay and leave them be until the temperatures warm again in spring. Remove the mulch and the plants should resume growing, giving you an even earlier harvest.

Harvesting

4-6 weeks from seed, you can begin harvesting whenever the leaves are large enough for your taste. Spinach can be harvested in the cut and come again method of harvesting lettuce. Cut individual leaves, starting with the older, outer leaves, and letting the young inner leaves remain and continue growing for a later harvest. You can also cut down the whole plant, for a larger harvest. If you cut about an inch above the crown or base of the plant, it is very likely the plant will send out a new flush of leaves.

Tips When Using Spinach

Spinach, especially the crinkled leaf varieties, hangs onto soil, so wash it well before using. Don’t store spinach in the refrigerator with apples, melons or tomatoes, as spinach leaves are very sensitive to the ethylene gas given off by many fruits. Spinach can be frozen for later use – wash the leaves well, and allow them to dry somewhat before placing in a resealable freezer bag. Then zap them for about 1 minute in the microwave, on high. Allow it to cool slightly and place it in the freezer. It’s best used within 4-6 months.

And for more helpful tips for vegetable gardening, visit Vegetable Gardens Made Easy.