Here is a table I made that summarizes the best growing conditions for spinach:
| Temperature | 50-70 ° F (10-21 ° C) |
| Grow in | Sun or partial shade |
| Hours of sun | 4-14 hours |
| Soil | Slightly acidic. pH 6.5-6.8 |
| Watering | Small doses. Often |
When is the best time to grow spinach?
Spinach Growing Time
- Spinach is a cool-season annual. ...
- Spinach grows best when planted outdoors in early spring and then again in autumn. ...
- Sow spinach indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last average frost date in spring for transplanting out as early as 4 weeks before the last frost. ...
- Direct sow spinach outdoors or set out transplants 4 weeks before the last average frost date.
What is a good companion plant for spinach?
Good companion plants for spinach are cabbage, kale, cauliflower, collard greens, eggplants, ...
When to plant spinach outdoors?
Planting and Growing Spinach
- Spinach 101. Native to Persia (modern day Iran), spinach made its way to China in the seventh century. ...
- Planting Spinach. Start your first row of spinach seeds in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. ...
- Caring for Spinach. ...
- Pests and Diseases. ...
- Harvesting Spinach. ...
- Recommended Spinach Varieties. ...
How to grow spinach faster?
Quick Guide to Growing Spinach
- Plant spinach during the cool weather of spring and fall.
- Space spinach plants 12 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0.
- Start off the growing season right by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil.
Will spinach grow in shade?
Among vegetables, leafy greens are the most tolerant of shade, including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard.
Does spinach grow better in sun or shade?
full sunSpinach likes full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Prepare the planting bed by amending the soil with rich compost or aged manure. Mini-till or spade the ground and level it off with a rake. Mature spinach has a long taproot, so loosen the soil to between 12 and 18 inches.
Does spinach grow well in pots?
Growing spinach in a pot or other container is ideal. It allows you to harvest all of the delicious leaves for yourself before some other four-legged critter dines on your greens before you get to them. Growing spinach in a pot will also thwart nematodes and other soil borne pests and diseases.
Do spinach plants need a lot of water?
Regular watering is essential in warm weather to prevent bolting. In general, spinach needs around 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week. Rather than a weekly deep watering, it's better to water several times a week. Adding a layer of mulch around the plants also can help to maintain soil moisture.
How hot is too hot for spinach?
The optimal temperature for germination is 70°F; spinach seeds will germinate more slowly at temperatures as low as 35°F. Spinach will not germinate in soil temperatures greater than 85°F.
What helps spinach grow?
Space spinach plants 12 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Start off the growing season right by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil. Check soil moisture often or consider using a soaker hose to keep moisture levels consistent.
How often do you water potted spinach?
Spinach needs at least one deep watering every week in the absence of rain but probably more, especially since the soil in containers tends to dry out more quickly than the earth does. Irrigate your plants until water comes out the bottom of the container. Every three or four days, check the soil with your finger.
Will spinach grow back after cutting?
To harvest, use a pair of scissors or garden shears to cut the spinach leaves to within 2 inches of the ground. Be careful not to cut into the growing point, or you may damage the plant so that it will not regrow. The leaves should then regenerate for a second harvest within four weeks after the first cutting.
How long does it take spinach to fully grow?
Spinach requires 6 weeks of cool weather from seeding to harvest, so sow seeds directly into the soil as soon as the ground warms to 40°F. (Cover the soil with black plastic to speed its warming.) Although seeds can be started indoors, it is not recommended, as seedlings are difficult to transplant.
Can you overwater spinach?
Spinach has a shallow root system and is not very good at absorbing moisture that isn't close to the soil's surface. If the soil becomes waterlogged, or soggy, the plants will not do very well either, and will become susceptible to a wide range of pest and disease issues.
Why are my spinach plant leaves turning yellow?
Possible causes of yellow spinach leaves include poor drainage, soil compaction, damaged roots/poor root growth, high soil pH, too much or too little water, too low or too high a temperature, or perhaps cold temperatures followed abruptly by very warm temperatures, 80°F or greater; nutrient deficiencies or disease.
Why is my spinach dying?
Spinach Diseases Damping off – Damping off disease causes seedlings to fall over and die soon after they emerge. Plant quality seeds and avoid overwatering to help prevent the disease. Process compost thoroughly in a hot pile before adding it to the garden soil.
How much sun does spinach need?
Full sun refers to six or more hours of direct sunlight per day, while partial sun generally means four to six hours. As a cool weather crop, spinach doesn’t fit neatly into either one of these categories. ...
How to grow spinach in shade?
Whether you’re dealing with a shady garden site or you’re trying to extend the growing season for your spinach crop, try implementing these ideas for shade spinach growing: Plant spring spinach under a deciduous tree. Before the deciduous leaves emerge in the spring, the spinach will receive full sun and grow quickly.
When is spinach best to grow?
In early spring and late fall when the sun resides lower in the sky and its rays are less intense, spinach shade tolerance is low. It needs full, direct sunlight to grow quickly, which is the key to producing sweet tasting spinach.
Can spinach grow in the shade?
Spinach Shade Tolerance – Will Spinach Grow In The Shade. In a perfect world all gardeners would be blessed with garden space that receives full sun. After all, many common garden veggies, like tomatoes and peppers, grow best in sunny areas.
Can you plant spinach in the fall?
This has the same effect, but in reverse. Sowing spinach seed in cooler soil improves germination rates. As autumn approaches and the leaves drop, a fall crop of spinach will benefit from the increased sunlight. Successively plant spinach near taller crops.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Spinach grows most quickly in well-drained soil rich in organic matter such as compost or composted manure and with a pH of 6.5 to 7. A simple way to improve your existing soil is to mix 3 inches of aged compost-enriched Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® All Purpose In-Ground Soil with the top 6 inches of existing soil.
Troubleshooting
Heat and long days will end your crop, so plant as mentioned above. Pests that enjoy spinach include flea beetles, spider mites, and aphids, which feed on the leaves. Diseases that attack plants are downy mildew (a mildew that may appear during cool, moist weather) and white rust (which causes white spots on the leaves).
Harvest and Storage
Spinach leaves are ready to harvest as soon as they are big enough to eat. Harvest by removing only the outer leaves and allowing the center leaves to grow larger; this will allow the plant to keep producing. Picking the outer leaves also gives the advantage of briefly delaying bolting.
FAQs
In late winter or early spring for a fast crop and again in late summer or early fall, after the hottest temperatures have passed. Spinach is a cool-weather vegetable.
How long does it take for spinach to grow?
Spinach is very fast-growing and can be ready to harvest in as little as one month after it 's planted as seed.
How to thin spinach plants?
Keep the soil moist until germination. Once the plants have a grown their true leaves, you can begin to thin the plants to about 6 inches apart. Of course, you can eat your thinnings. As the weather warms, spinach plants will bolt more quickly.
Why is spinach bad for you?
Since spinach is grown when the weather is cool and damp, several fungal diseases, such as downy mildew (blue mold) and fusarium wilt, can become problems . Space your spinach plants so they get good air circulation and try to keep water off the leaves in the evening.
How long does it take to harvest spinach?
Typically, you can harvest spinach four to six weeks from seed. You can begin harvesting whenever the leaves are large enough for your taste. Spinach can be harvested in the " cut and the come again " method of harvesting leafy greens like lettuce. Cut individual leaves, starting with the older, outer leaves and letting the young inner leaves remain to continue growing for a later harvest. You can also cut down the whole plant for a larger harvest. If you cut about an inch above the crown or base of the plant, it is very likely the plant will send out a new flush of leaves.
What is the best vegetable to grow in cool weather?
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Packed with iron, spinach is also high in vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium, and folic acid (one of the B-complex vitamins). Like most dark green leafy vegetables, spinach also contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
What is the best fertilizer for spinach?
A fertilizer high in nitrogen, the first number on the fertilizer package, will help produce dark, healthy leaves. Fish emulsion and soy meal are good organic choices for spinach.
What are the two main categories of spinach?
While there are many different spinach varieties with an assortment of leaf shapes and textures, spinach is usually divided into two major categories: smooth leaf and savoy. But this plant has been crossbred so much that it's often hard to categorize. Small-leafed spinach, or baby spinach, has gained in popularity recently ...
