Overview
Spinach is a cool-season crop, hardy to light freezes and frosts. Able to grow anywhere that offers at least a month and a half of cool weather.
When to Plant
The ground can be prepared in the fall with plastic mulch so that it’s easily workable in the spring, and in some cases, fall-planted seeds can even winter over to start sprouting in early spring. Fall crops tend to taste better and suffer no bolting or leaf miners. Your best bet is to plant a late fall crop, and they will come up in the early spring.
How to Plant
Spinach should be planted in rows 12″ apart, and seedlings should be approximately 3″ apart. After thinning, remember to cover your rows to keep the pests away, and you’ll have the best-looking/tasting leaves.
Be sure to keep your rows moist in the spring or fall and always fertilize along the rows with high-nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal or fish emulsions when your seedlings are about 3″ tall.
How to Harvest
When your Spinach is fully developed, be sure to cut it off at the base. Once you’ve cut the leaves off, they will not grow back like lettuce or chard. Some Spinach tends to grow and sprawl like crazy unless trimmed back. Always trim back the leaves to keep the rows under control.
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