Popeye loved his spinach, and you should too! It is full of vitamins, minerals, and iron that your body needs. Spinach is great when used in salads, or can even be steamed and enjoyed warm. So are you a fan of spinach yet? If so, why not grow it in your garden this year? Take a look below at tips for growing spinach in your garden, so you never run out of this super food! Here is how you can get started.
Tips for Growing Spinach in Your Garden
How to plant spinach seeds:
Spinach seedlings don’t do well when transplanted. Because of this, don’t try to start your seeds indoors. Instead, opt to plant them directly outdoors. You can start planting your spinach seeds as soon as the soil is soft and threat of serious frost has passed. Your seedlings will need a good six weeks of cooler temps in order to thrive, so don’t wait until temperatures get too warm to plant.
To start planting your spinach seeds, pick a spot that gets full sun. When sowing, plant them ½ an inch deep. You want to sow in rows, spacing seeds out about 2 inches. This may feel a little close while you are planting, but rest assured the seedlings will thrive. Water well, especially during the first few weeks.
Growing spinach in containers:
Spinach makes an excellent container plant, so feel free to skip the ground altogether and plant your spinach seeds in a large flower pot or planter instead. Thin spinach seedlings to 6 inches apart. Growing spinach in a container may allow you to extend its growing season by moving the pot to a shaded area once it becomes hot outside. Here are more container gardening tips.
How to care for spinach seedlings:
Watch for slow growth with your seedlings. If you aren’t seeing any changes in your seedlings, go ahead and fertilize. Once the seedlings are about 2-3 inches tall, you can begin to thin them out. Remove the smaller, skinnier plants and leave the hardier plants.
General tips for producing a good spinach crop:
Be sure you water your spinach regularly so that the soil stays moist. Covering the base of the spinach plant with mulch is a great way to keep the roots of the plant protected. Since spinach has very shallow roots, mulch can help protect the temperature as well as the moisture level of the plant.
Spinach may attract bugs as well as rabbits. Try to avoid using any pesticides on your spinach and instead pick insects off by hand. Also discard any weeds or rotting plants in order to keep bugs at bay. Surround the spinach with fencing or netting to keep out rabbits who would love to turn your spinach into an all you can eat buffet.
When and how to harvest spinach:
When the spinach leaves reach a generous size, it is time to harvest. An ideal size would be about the size of your hand. Do not wait too long, as waiting for a larger leaf may cause the flavor to turn bitter. Instead, sample a few of the early leaves to find a size that you know to be fresh and edible.
Remove one layer of leaves at a time, or, you can remove the entire head of spinach by cutting it at the base. Both methods are acceptable, you might just opt to use the first method if some of the leaves still need to mature.
Growing spinach in your garden is a great way to eat healthier. Give these tips for growing spinach a try and see how fun it can be to grow your own healthy foods!
More Gardening Tips
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- How to Start Square Foot Gardening
- Plot Gardening for Beginners
- Vegetable Container Gardening Tips
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