How to Grow and Care for Spinach Plant
Spinach is found to be the most popular leafy vegetable eaten all over the world. It is known for its nutritious values and taste. The tempting dark green leaves of the Spinach are soft and tasty with lots of nutrients and fibers.
It is the most satisfying cool weather crop, which is bolts in hot as well as cool temperatures. It is best to sow the plant is early spring to get the most of it. The moist and nitrogen-rich soil boosts the growth of the Spinach plant.
Things To Know About Spinach Plant
- Botanical name: Spinacia oleracea
- Soil type: Loamy
- Sunlight: Full Sun
- Soil pH: Neutral
- Height and spread: 8-10 inch tall and spreads 6-8 inch wide
- Pests: Leaf Miners, Bolting, Mosaic virus/ blight, downy mildew.
When To Plant Spinach?
Spring is the most favorable time to plant the Spinach plant in your garden. You should sow the seed as early as possible to give the plant enough time to of about 6 weeks before the cool weather to grow from seed to harvest.
For good germination of the seeds, the soil should not be warmer than 70 F. Protect the young plants from cool temperatures by mulching or with a cold frame in the winters. Remove the protection when the soil temperature in your area reaches 40F.
If you belong to the northern climates, you can harvest the plant in early spring if it planted just before fall. Successive planting can be done every two weeks in spring. Common Spinach cannot grow in midsummer as the temperature is high. If you live in an area with a midwinter, you can plant the Spinach in fall.
How To Plant Spinach?
Select the site with full sunlight or partial sun with well-drained soil. Prepare the soil by adding the organic compost and making it lose.
It is not recommended to sow the seeds indoor as the thin new plants are difficult to transplant. It is best to plant Spinach seeds in the ground. Sow the seeds into the mixture of soil and compost at least ½ inch deep and cover it with soil. Sow about 12 seeds at every one foot apart in a row. You can sprinkle the seeds randomly into the soil bed.
Water the seeds regularly and well in spring. Keep adding the fertilizer to protect the leaves from attacked by pests and diseases. Compost also adds nutrients to the plant. You will soon see dark green Spinach leaves growing in your garden. Pluck them and wash them before use.
There are various recipes of Spinach on the internet. You can enjoy eating this iron-rich vegetable into your diet.
Care Tips
Do not use excess fertilizer as the grown of Spinach is slow. Add the fertilizer if the soil is not adequately fertilized.
When the seeds grow about 2 inches tall, transplant them 3-4 inches apart. This will promote the growth of the plant with enough space to spread. Besides this, no disturbance is needed as the roots are delicate and easily damaged.
Water the plant regularly, keeping the soil moist with mulching.
You can harvest the plant when the leaves of Spinach reach the desired size. Wash before eating.
When the leaves of the Spinach plants are big enough, you can harvest them. The plant is perennial, so you have to pluck the leaves and use them. The small and immature leaves will continue growing until full growth.
If the Spinach looks fresh and dark green, then the plant is healthy. You can examine the leaves of the plant. If the leaves are incomplete or the leaves have spots, then you can say the plant is suffering from a disease. There are sprays available that can help the plant to recover from growing healthy. You can consult the expert for more information.
You can store the leaves by packing them in an airtight bag and storing it in the fridge. But it is recommended to store for 2-3 days not more than that. The nutritious values of the leaves decrease if you store it for many days.
