Spinach is a fast-growing, easy-to-grow garden favorite. Best planted in spring or fall, it can provide fresh leaves for three seasons with minimal care. Whether topping a burger, part of a healthy breakfast, or a star ingredient in a dip, there are countless reasons to grow your own spinach. Here’s a simple guide to get you started.
Spinach Overview
- Genus Name: Spinacia oleracea
- Common Name: Spinach
- Plant Type: Annual, Vegetable
- Light: Part Sun, Sun
- Height: 6 to 24 inches
- Width: 6 to 12 inches
- Foliage Color: Blue/Green
- Special Features: Good for Containers
- Zones: 2-11
- Propagation: Seed
Where to Plant Spinach Spinach thrives in both containers and garden beds. Choose a spot with good drainage and neutral soil pH. Avoid dusty areas like highways or gravel parking lots. Spinach prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade, especially in the late afternoon.
To keep your garden productive, plant spinach in succession about every two weeks in spring, or in late summer to replace harvested crops like lettuce or radishes.
How and When to Plant Spinach Plant spinach in early spring when the soil reaches at least 40°F, or in late summer for a fall crop, about six weeks before the first frost.
Steps to Plant Spinach:
- Make a trench about ½ inch deep in well-draining soil using your finger or a trowel.
- Space rows about 12 inches apart.
- Drop spinach seeds about one inch apart in the trench.
- Cover the seeds, firm the soil, and water well.
Thin young spinach plants by removing every other one, and use the thinned seedlings in your kitchen.
For spring and early summer harvests, choose slow-bolting or heat-resistant varieties. For late summer or early autumn planting, use faster-growing varieties that won’t bolt before cooler weather arrives.
If the soil is too warm for direct seeding in late summer, cool it with irrigation or start seeds indoors and transplant them after a couple of weeks.
In autumn, spinach can continue growing and producing leaves into winter. It can handle temperatures down to the low twenties and tastes sweeter when grown in colder weather due to increased leaf sugars.
Spinach Care Tips Spinach is easy to grow when its basic needs are met. With adequate soil moisture and a little mulch, it will produce tasty leaves for a long time. Spinach is a cut-and-come-again crop, so it benefits from succession planting. Harvest leaves when they are small or medium-sized for the best flavor.
Light Spinach does best in full sun during spring, fall, and winter but will grow in part shade. In warmer months, it prefers morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light from nearby taller plants.
Soil and Water Spinach loves loose, loamy soil that drains well. Adding compost or aged manure before planting can improve soil quality. Spinach prefers a neutral pH of 6.5-7.0. Keep soil evenly moist, aiming for 1-2 inches of water per week. Mulch around the plants to conserve moisture and cool the soil.
Temperature and Humidity Spinach grows best in cool temperatures between 35°F and 70°F. Warm temperatures cause it to bolt, making the leaves bitter. Mulching and using a cold frame can extend the growing season into colder weather.
Fertilizer Compost worked into the bed before planting is usually sufficient. Spinach in containers benefits from a high-nitrogen fertilizer applied when watering.
Potting and Repotting Spinach is great for containers. Use high-quality potting mix with compost. A 12-inch deep container is sufficient. Sow seeds 1-2 inches apart, thinning to 2-3 inches apart for young greens or 4-6 inches for full-size plants. No repotting is needed.
Pests and Problems Aphids can be a problem. Wash them off with a strong water stream or squish them with your fingers. Check undersides of leaves for damage. Neem oil can be safely applied up to the day of harvest; just wash the leaves well before eating.
How to Propagate Spinach is easy to grow from seeds but can also be propagated by cuttings. Take 6-inch cuttings from a mature plant, place them in water, and wait for roots to appear before transplanting to the garden.
Types of Spinach
- ‘America’: Heat-resistant, slow to bolt, good for spring planting.
- ‘Norfolk’: Heirloom, excellent in autumn, sweet taste after frost.
- ‘Kolibri’: Fast-growing, semi-savoy leaves, resistant to downy mildew.
- ‘Giant Noble’: Heirloom, large plant, bolt-resistant, great for blanching and freezing.
By following these guidelines, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown spinach throughout multiple seasons!
Spinach is a fast-growing, easy-to-grow garden favorite. Best planted in spring or fall, it can provide fresh leaves for three seasons with minimal care. Whether topping a burger, part of a healthy breakfast, or a star ingredient in a dip, there are countless reasons to grow your own spinach. Here’s a simple guide to get you started.
Spinach Overview
- Genus Name: Spinacia oleracea
- Common Name: Spinach
- Plant Type: Annual, Vegetable
- Light: Part Sun, Sun
- Height: 6 to 24 inches
- Width: 6 to 12 inches
- Foliage Color: Blue/Green
- Special Features: Good for Containers
- Zones: 2-11
- Propagation: Seed
Where to Plant Spinach Spinach thrives in both containers and garden beds. Choose a spot with good drainage and neutral soil pH. Avoid dusty areas like highways or gravel parking lots. Spinach prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade, especially in the late afternoon.
To keep your garden productive, plant spinach in succession about every two weeks in spring, or in late summer to replace harvested crops like lettuce or radishes.
How and When to Plant Spinach Plant spinach in early spring when the soil reaches at least 40°F, or in late summer for a fall crop, about six weeks before the first frost.
Steps to Plant Spinach:
- Make a trench about ½ inch deep in well-draining soil using your finger or a trowel.
- Space rows about 12 inches apart.
- Drop spinach seeds about one inch apart in the trench.
- Cover the seeds, firm the soil, and water well.
Thin young spinach plants by removing every other one, and use the thinned seedlings in your kitchen.
For spring and early summer harvests, choose slow-bolting or heat-resistant varieties. For late summer or early autumn planting, use faster-growing varieties that won’t bolt before cooler weather arrives.
If the soil is too warm for direct seeding in late summer, cool it with irrigation or start seeds indoors and transplant them after a couple of weeks.
In autumn, spinach can continue growing and producing leaves into winter. It can handle temperatures down to the low twenties and tastes sweeter when grown in colder weather due to increased leaf sugars.
Spinach Care Tips Spinach is easy to grow when its basic needs are met. With adequate soil moisture and a little mulch, it will produce tasty leaves for a long time. Spinach is a cut-and-come-again crop, so it benefits from succession planting. Harvest leaves when they are small or medium-sized for the best flavor.
Light Spinach does best in full sun during spring, fall, and winter but will grow in part shade. In warmer months, it prefers morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light from nearby taller plants.
Soil and Water Spinach loves loose, loamy soil that drains well. Adding compost or aged manure before planting can improve soil quality. Spinach prefers a neutral pH of 6.5-7.0. Keep soil evenly moist, aiming for 1-2 inches of water per week. Mulch around the plants to conserve moisture and cool the soil.
Temperature and Humidity Spinach grows best in cool temperatures between 35°F and 70°F. Warm temperatures cause it to bolt, making the leaves bitter. Mulching and using a cold frame can extend the growing season into colder weather.
Fertilizer Compost worked into the bed before planting is usually sufficient. Spinach in containers benefits from a high-nitrogen fertilizer applied when watering.
Potting and Repotting Spinach is great for containers. Use high-quality potting mix with compost. A 12-inch deep container is sufficient. Sow seeds 1-2 inches apart, thinning to 2-3 inches apart for young greens or 4-6 inches for full-size plants. No repotting is needed.
Pests and Problems Aphids can be a problem. Wash them off with a strong water stream or squish them with your fingers. Check undersides of leaves for damage. Neem oil can be safely applied up to the day of harvest; just wash the leaves well before eating.
How to Propagate Spinach is easy to grow from seeds but can also be propagated by cuttings. Take 6-inch cuttings from a mature plant, place them in water, and wait for roots to appear before transplanting to the garden.
Types of Spinach
- ‘America’: Heat-resistant, slow to bolt, good for spring planting.
- ‘Norfolk’: Heirloom, excellent in autumn, sweet taste after frost.
- ‘Kolibri’: Fast-growing, semi-savoy leaves, resistant to downy mildew.
- ‘Giant Noble’: Heirloom, large plant, bolt-resistant, great for blanching and freezing.
By following these guidelines, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown spinach throughout multiple seasons!
