Melinda Myers

Spinach

Botanical Name

Spinacia oleracea

Hardiness

Annual

Height

6 to 12 inches

Width

6 to 12 inches

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Spinach germinates best in cool temperatures of 40°F to 75°F
• Sow seeds in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant seeds ¹/₂ inch deep, spaced 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart
• Begin thinning seedlings to 2 to 6 inches when they reach 1 inch in height
• Use thinnings in salads or sandwiches
• Can also be broadly sown in a garden bed or container and thinned to 4 to 6 inches between plants
• Plant successive crops every 2 weeks until the last frost date.  Select bolt-resistant varieties for plantings done after this date.
• Renew sowing in mid to late summer for a late season harvest
• You can also get a jumpstart on your spring harvest. Spinach can be broadly sown over frozen ground or snow in late winter if the ground was prepared in the fall. Seeds will begin to germinate when the ground thaws in spring.
• Mulch to maintain adequate soil moisture, suppress weeds and prevent bolting

Problems

Leaf miners, blight, fungal diseases

Varieties

• Giant Nobel - large smooth leaves, 43 days to harvest
• Winter Bloomsdale - cold tolerant, slow to bolt, good blight resistance, 45 days to harvest
• Melody - crinkled leaves, resistant to downy mildew and blight, 42 days to harvest, All-America Selections winner