Spinach grows highest inside the cool local weather of spring and fall. Mature spinach plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 to 20°F (-12 to -7°C).
Time spinach seed starting so plants come to harvest forward of or after the very popular and sizzling local weather of summer season. Scorching local weather will motive bolting and seed-stalk formation. Bolting may also be slowed via deciding on the oldest leaves first, alternatively bolting ultimately cannot be stopped if spinach matures in very popular local weather.
Spinach matures in 35 to 50 days depending on the variety.
Spinach Seed Starting and Planting Tips
- Spinach seed is viable for 3 years.
- Spinach is grown from seeds or transplants.
- Direct-sow spinach seeds inside the garden 6 to 4 weeks forward of the overall spring frost; spinach may also be started indoors a couple of weeks earlier.
- Sow seed ½ inch (13mm) deep.
- Sow seeds 1 inch (2.5cm) apart; later thin seedlings to 6 inches (15cm) apart; use the thinnings in salads. Make sure that there is also very good air transfer spherical seedlings and maturing plants to keep away from sickness.
- Space plants 6 to 9 inches (15-22 cm) apart in a staggered building or in rows 11 to 18 inches apart.
- Spinach grows highest in entire sun alternatively can tolerate delicate color.
- Spinach prefers a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
- Seed germinates in 7 to 14 days at or as regards to 70°F (21°C)—alternatively every so often seed can take up to 3 weeks to germinate in cold soil.
- When sowing seed in summer season for fall harvest, first place the seed in a folded damp paper towel located in a plastic bag and stored inside the refrigerator for 5 days forward of sowing.
- Keep the soil lightly rainy until seeds germinate then keep the soil rainy until seedlings are well established; once plants are established mulch with straw to stick the roots cool and rainy.
- Add aged compost to planting beds prematurely of sowing; compost will feed the soil and aide moisture retention.
- Spinach grows highest when daylight hours temperatures are inside the 60s°F (mid- to high youngsters °C).
- Spinach can tolerate delicate frosts inside the spring and freezes inside the fall.
- Spinach planted inside the fall can wintry climate over beneath straw and a floating row cover and will get started new expansion early in spring.
- Steer clear of planting spinach where beets, chard, or orach has now not too way back grown. Plant spinach where beans have merely grown if you are able to.
- Make successive sowings each few weeks for an extended harvest.
- Fertilize with an herbal fertilizer related to fish emulsion at section power.
- Aphids and leaf miners can attack spinach.
- Decrease plants once more to about 3 inches (7 cm) above the soil in overdue summer season; the plant will produce new leaves for autumn harvest.
Interplanting: Interplant spinach with carrots, radishes, strawberries.
Container Emerging Spinach: Select a container 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) deep.
Spinach Planting Calendar
- 12-10 weeks forward of the overall frost in spring: direct sow in a plastic tunnel or cold frame for spring crop.
- 6-4 weeks forward of the overall frost: direct-sow inside the garden; minimum soil temperature is 35°
- Each and every 3 weeks until temperatures upward push into the mid to high 70°sF plant succession crops.
For fall and wintry climate crop:
- 8-6 weeks forward of the main frost in fall: direct-sow inside the garden.
- 6-4 weeks forward of the main frost in fall: direct sow in a plastic tunnel or cold frame for fall and wintry climate harvest.
- 5-4 weeks forward of the main frost in fall: direct sow inside the garden to overwinter for early spring harvest; this crop will have to be covered with shredded leaves for straw and a floating row cover forward of freezing local weather arrives; remove the duvet and mulch in early spring to allow plants to continue emerging.
Really helpful Spinach Varieties
Blank leaf sorts:
- ‘Bordeaux’ green leaves with red veins, bolts merely in sizzling local weather.
- ‘Olympia’ grows highest in early spring.
- ‘Space’ is slow to bolt.
- ‘Whale’ is mildew and bolt resistant.
Semi-savoy and savoy leaf sorts:
- ‘Bloomsdale Longstanding’ thick and crinkled leaves.
- ‘Melody’ slow to bolt, crinkled leaves.
- ‘Tyee’ slow to bolt, crinkled leaves.
Botanical Identify: Spinacia oeracea
Spinach belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family, other members include beets, chard, quinoa, and sugar beets.
Additional tips: Learn to Broaden Spinach.
