Spinach is easy to grow with lots of bang for the buck. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals and comes smooth-leaved or curly. Spinach seeds can be planted in early Spring, before most vegetables, and can be harvested for months. Spinach seeds also enjoy Fall temperatures and can be sown in soil as low as 50°F (10°C).
Spinach seeds germinate quickly, and it’s a great way to get kids interested in gardening. Harvesting is simple: pick off what you want to eat! Try tender, smooth-leaved baby varieties…kids will never know it’s spinach!
For cooler zones or Fall planting, try ‘Melody’, ‘Avon’, ‘Indian Summer’, ‘Tyree’ or ‘Razzle Dazzle’. For hot climates, plant early-maturing, non-bolting spinach seeds like ‘Melody’, ‘Bloomsdale Long Standing’ or ‘Sho-Shu’. Disease-resistant varieties for humid areas are ‘Melody’, ‘Nordic IV’, or ‘Tyree’.
Sow spinach seeds when soil can be worked. If Springs are muddy, prepare spinach furrows in the Fall. Work additions of cured manure, blood meal or alfalfa pellets into well-drained soil. Spinach fails if ph is lower than 6.0 or above 7.5. Sow seeds ½” deep, rows 1-1 ½’ apart. Keep watered until germinated. When plants are 4″ tall and real leaves appear, thin to 6″ apart. Keep well-weeded: Over-crowding leads to bolting and disease. Don’t water leaves at night.
Fast-growing, spinach is a heavy feeder, needing nitrogen-rich fertilizers (higher first number on bag or soy meal, fish emulsion or manure tea.).
For continuous crops, sow spinach seeds every 2 weeks. In hot weather, sow seeds in the shade of taller plants.
A popular container crop, spinach seeds develop deep taproots, requiring containers at least 10″-12″ and temperatures around 70°F (20°C). Use a mixture of 1 part potting soil, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat, 1 part perlite. Water frequently, as containers dry out quickly.
Eat your spinach!