How to Grow Spinach, Growing Spinach Plants
A generation ago, kids were threatened with a variety of punishments if you
do not "eat your spinach". We don't push spinach as much today, as our parents
did. From a nutrition standpoint, perhaps we should.Whether our parents knew
it or not, spinach truly is good for you. It is packed with vitamins and
minerals. Even Popeye knew the benefits of this healthy food.
When we speak of spinach, most people still think about cooked spinach leaves,
which is boiled into an often mushy, green vegetable. It is amazing how many
people have never tried the mild flavored spinach in a salad. Fewer still,
think about where they can use spinach. It mixes well in many recipes, and
can be found in places like stuffed shells, lasagna, and soups.
Spinach is a hardy, cool weather crop. It grows best spring and fall, and
survives frosts and even freezes.
Did you Know? Spinach is an ingredient of one of the most popular
tomato vegetable juices? That's right, without Spinach, V8 would only
be V7.
Varieties of Spinach:
Days to Maturity:
45 to 50 days. Plants produce vigorous, healthy greens for 2-3 weeks.
Succession planting will allow successive crops to reach maturity, as older
plants lose their vigor or bolt.
Sowing Seeds:
Start plants as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring.
Plant seeds in rows. Sow seeds 1/2" to 1" apart. Cover very lightly,
1/2" deep, with soil. Final spacing of the plants should be 2" to 3" apart.
Water lightly and daily for three to five days. Heavy watering can wash the
seeds out of the soil or wash them too deeply into the soil. Provide 12"
between rows.
How to Grow Spinach Plants:
Grow plants in full sun. The plants like cool weather and lots of moisture
in rich, well drained soil.
Growing spinach at a fast pace, produces the most flavorful, and tender leaves.
That means plenty of water, and a healthy dose of fertilizer. Keep plants
well weeded, too.
TIP: Use succession planting, by sowing a row or partial row every
two weeks. This will provide fresh greens for most of the year.
When using succession planting, as the plants age and lose their vigor, the
next crop is ready to harvest.
Spinach plants do not like summer's heat and humidity. Plant a fall crop
as soon as the weather begins to cool, and you will have spinach all the
way up to the first frost. For warmer summer weather, try
New Zealand Spinach.
Insects and Pests:
Regardless of whether people like spinach, it is certain that insects and
some animals do...especially bunnies. For the bunnies, a rabbit fence is
in your future. For insects, there are insecticides which can be applied,
but require several days before you can harvest eat the spinach. We like
to avoid insecticides on leafy vegetables wherever possible.
We suggest organic sprays, and a willingness to give up some of the harvest
to insects, over using pesticides. After all, one of the reasons most of
us have gardens is to avoid the pesticides.
Diseases:
Spinach plants are fairly resistant to most plant diseases. However, it will
wilt and rot in hot, humid weather. The plant will also bolt, or go to the
seed stage, in high when the weather gets hot.
Plant Problems - Diagnosis,
causes and cures for many common plant problems.
Hardiness:
Like most leafy vegetables, Spinach plants thrive in cooler weather, with
moderate moisture. It does not like mid-summer heat, and dry conditions.
However, you will find some varieties that are slow to bolt. Many gardeners
plant a crop for spring and early summer harvest and leave the mid summer
months to heat loving tomatoes and corn. Then, as the late summer heat begins
to wane, they plant a crop for late fall harvest.
Plants survive a light frosts, and even freezes.
Garden Recipes:
Spinach and Mushroom Recipe
Spinach Souffle
More of our Garden Recipes
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