Growing Spinach

Since we have had such a cool summer, I decided that I would give a second planting of spinach a try.  I'm hoping to get some fresh greeens by early September.  I planted the seeds in the shade of the corn stalks so we will see how they do!

Here is a bit I wrote for Helium.com about growing spinach.  See the original artical here.

Would you like to have vibrant green spinach leaves, packed with vitamins growing prolifically in your vegetable garden, ready for your dinner table with just a bit of clipping?  Spinach is a very easy cool weather crop to grow in early spring.  In some growing seasons, a fall crop is also possible.

First, you will want to choose a location in your garden that will receive more sun at the beginning of your growing season and may be shaded by taller crops as the summer goes on.  Spinach that is shaded by taller crops, like zucchini or corn, can sometimes produce later into the growing season as the daytime temperatures climb.

Next you will need to choose the type of spinach you would like to grow.  While all spinach is a great source of calcium and iron the main difference between varieties is appearance and ease of cleaning.

There are three common varieties of spinach that tend to be similar in flavor but have differing appearances.  The first is flat-leaf spinach.  The small, flat, round leaves of baby spinach are most commonly found bagged loosely in produce department.  Often, flat-leaf spinach is also spade shaped.  Savory spinach leaves have a rough, crinkly surface and are darker green in color.  Semi-savory spinach is a hybrid of the savory and the flat-leaf spinaches and is slightly crinkled.  The smoother the leaves are, the easier the produce is to clean.

Once you’ve chosen your location and purchased your seeds, it’s time to plant.  Spinach can be planted up to six weeks prior to the date of the last expected frost date.  Maps showing estimated last frost dates are readily available in gardening books, the internet and often right on seed packets. Once you have planted, the seedlings are not sensitive to a mild frost, but will be in danger below 20°F.  Plant your seeds 3-4 inches apart, water regularly and wait for your spinach to grow.

As soon as the second sets of leaves appear, clip the first set of leaves and enjoy.  Continue to harvest your spinach in this manner and you will have a perpetual harvest until your daytime temperatures warm to 80°F regularly and the plants being to wilt.  Harvest all remaining leaves before the plant shows signs of going to seed: usually yellow flowers.  In climates that allow, you may be able to reap the harvest of a second crop in the fall.