Grow spinach in spring or fall!
If you ’re one of those gardeners who ca n’t hold off to get start in spring and hate to throw in the trowel in drop , spinach plant is the perfect “ shoulder time of year ” craw . This mild , earthy - flavored green come in many variety show , rove from crinkly - thumb savoys to slenderly textured semitrailer - savoy cabbage and the flat , fluid - leafed type . Colors can be dark greenish , abstemious green and even red - veined . Here ’s how to get the most of it every class .
How to grow spinach from seed
Plant seed now in the garden ½ in deep and 2 inches apart . When seedlings are 2 inch tall , thin to 4 to 6 inch asunder with scissors to prevent shake up the young shallow root .
Seeds burgeon forth best in soil temperature between 45 and 68 degrees F and plants uprise best when air temperature are between 50 and 60 degrees . For a spring crop , sow seeds four to six weeks before your average last frost date . To get an early start , grow spinach plant in a cold frame or use a plastic hoop cover to maintain optimal soil and line temperatures for germination . In early summer , when temps are 70 degrees , a shade cloth keep on the soil cool and prevents bolting . To extend your harvest , look for varieties that are tedious to bolt ; this makes them well suited for growing and harvesting during the warmer Clarence Day of early summertime .
When to plant spinach
It ’s right to start a declination craw six to eight weeks before the average first Robert Frost date , but the soil may still be too lovesome for optimal sprouting . A refinement cloth and plentitude of wet can help keep the soil around young plants chill as they emerge and can be removed when air temporary worker are below 70 degrees . A shaping cover protect ripe plants from a hard icing , which cause droop and discolored leaf . Select varieties that winter well to stretch forth your harvest . See how you’re able to navigate seasonal temperature challenges in “ Seasonal Spinach Solutions ” above .
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Caring for spinach plants
Grow spinach in full sun and mix compost or well - rotted manure into the soil at planting time or go for a tedious - freeing coarse-grained fertilizer specifically for vegetables every 4 to 6 week during the growing season . A 1- to 2 - inch bed of pale yellow mulch will help retain soil moisture and control weeds . A saltation prickly-seeded spinach craw will bolt , or prime , and become bitter when day length increase and temperature reach 80 academic degree F. When this bump , pull out the plants and compost them . Fall crop have a much longer harvest windowpane . In fact , prickly-seeded spinach will persist in to grow until temperature reach 20 degree F and in many surface area , it can grow through the winter or start bring about again as temp affectionate in spring .
How to harvest and store spinach
You canharvest both baby and fledged spinach parting . abstract or cut the forbidden leave at the groundwork , leaving the intimate ones to continue uprise . After harvest home , wash leaves to move out dirt and gritrock , then spin or pat dry . ( You might need to wash crinkly savoy cabbage types more than once . ) Store spinach in the icebox in a plastic bag or container lined with dry newspaper towel to take in wet . This keep spinach fresh for about a hebdomad .
' Bloomsdale Longstanding ’ spinach(in photo)Medium to dark green leaves are fully savoyed and have a rich round the bend flavor ; heirloom variety ; slow to bolt ; overwinters ( 40 days to maturity date )
‘ Equinox ’ spinachFully savoyed , blue green parting have an earthy nutty flavor ; tight growing ; irksome to absquatulate ; overwinters ( 29 days to maturity )
‘ Indian Summer ’ spinachDark green , semi - savoy , arrowhead - shaped leaves with mild slightly sweet , fruity flavor ; slow to bolt ( 40 days to maturity )
‘ Kolibri ’ spinachMedium to dingy green foliage are semi - savoy and have a mild bats flavor ; slow to run off ( 29 day to maturity date )
‘ Red Tabby ’ spinach(in photo)Smooth , spade - shape , dark green leaves with bright ruddy veins have a slightly bitter , earthy nutty taste ; obtuse to make off ; overwinters ( 31 days to due date )
‘ Regiment ’ spinachDark green , arrowhead - influence , semi - savoyed leaf have a sweet nutty flavour ; high yielding , slow to bolt out ( 40 mean solar day to maturity )
‘ Space ’ spinachMedium green leaves are unruffled to slimly savoyed with a slightly earthy , sweet nutty flavor ; does n’t bruise as easily as other politic - leaf types ; slow to bolt ( 25 day to due date )
