How to Grow Spinach

Spinach a highly nutritious vegetable, rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as magnesium, manganese, iron and folate. It is an annual plant that must be started anew each year, that grows up to 30 cm tall.

Leaves are harvested while young and tender as well as when they are fully mature. Mature leaves are generally cooked to eliminate the bitter taste, while young leaves are mild enough to be used raw in salads and other dishes.

 

Planting Spinach

You can start to grow spinach in the (very) early spring, fall or winter, as it is a very cold-hardy vegetable. It does not grow well in summer, and will ‘bolt’ and become bitter and not very good to eat in hot weather.

Sow spinach seeds in a small to large sized pot, leaving 5-8 cm (2″-3″) spacing between seeds. Cover with 2 cm (1″) of soil. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.

To eliminate the guesswork in selecting the right size containers for your plants, we’ve put together a list of commonly grown herbs, veggies, fruit and flowers along with the minimum pot sizes required by each.

Starting a container garden? Grab my free guide on choosing the best sized pots for each veggie, fruit, and herb in your container garden – Veggie Garden Potting Guide

 

Watering Spinach

Keep well watered. Water when the top 1″ of soil is dry to the touch.

 

Where Can I Grow It?

Spinach is best grown outdoors, as it does best in cool weather and may bolt if temperatures are too high.

It can be grown indoors as well as long as temperatures do not get too hot, which may cause spinach to bolt and become unsavory in taste. Once spinach has bolted it is no longer good to eat as it becomes very bitter.

 

Spinach Growing Tips

For a continuous supply, plant every 3 weeks.

Baby green leaves can be picked individually when the leaves are 7-10 cm (3-4″) long. Individual leaves can be picked, or you can cut the whole plant just above soil level. Just make sure you don’t wait too long to harvest, because the leaves get bitter as they mature!

 

Companion Planting

Grow spinach along with strawberries, peas, beans, or anything in the Brassicas family (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) for beneficial effects. Climbing plants like beans and peas provide shade for the spinach and keep temperatures cooler, which are both favorable conditions for spinach to grow in.