How to Grow Spinach: Everything You Need to Know

Spinach is a beloved and versatile vegetable cherished for its delightful taste and numerous health benefits. If you want to grow it for a local harvest, we’ll share some handy tips today to ensure you achieve satisfying results.

The first thing to do is choose the right place, as each type of vegetable has unique requirements. Plant spinach seeds in spring or autumn in a sunny area with well-draining soil. Before sowing, enrich the soil with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer; options include fish emulsion or soy flour.

Spinach plants require constant moisture in the soil. Water them regularly, not allowing water to accumulate around the roots. Instead of a weekly watering routine, opt for more frequent watering with reduced flow. Applying mulch around the plants proves helpful in retaining moisture. The ideal temperature for this type of cultivation is around 50°-68°F (10-20°C), but young seedlings can tolerate lower temperatures. Too high temperatures would give the leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Explore various spinach varieties to align with your climate and personal preferences. Savoy spinach, with its cold-hardy wrinkled leaves, stands out. Baby Leaf spinach, being smaller, is perfect for pots or ornamental purposes. Lisa-type spinach suits warmer regions and grows more quickly. Select the variety that best suits your needs.

Spinach harvesting can begin when the leaves reach approximately 10 centimeters. You can harvest the outermost leaves, allowing the inner ones to persist and foster ongoing growth. This method ensures a sustained supply of fresh spinach over an extended period. For continuous harvesting, consider planting new seeds every 2-3 weeks.

Opting to grow spinach in a pot? Ensure the container is sufficiently large to accommodate the plant’s roots. Choose a pot with drainage holes to prevent water stagnation. Fill it with organic-rich soil and water regularly, and place the pot in a sunny area. Pruning these plants is unnecessary, as they are grown primarily for their leaves.

How to Propagate Spinach

If you wish to propagate spinach, you can do so by dividing the roots or by using cuttings. For root division, excavate around the mother plant, then separate the roots with a knife. Transplant the new seedlings into another pot. Alternatively, for cuttings, cut a healthy stem from the mother plant, remove the bottom leaves, plant it in moist substrate, and wait for it to root before transplanting.

Since spinach is grown in a cool, humid climate, it can develop various fungal diseases that would compromise the health of the plant. To avoid this, space them so that they have good air circulation, and also try not to wet the leaves.