How to Grow Spinach, Growing Spinach Plants
A generation ago, kids were threatened with a variety of punishments if you
do not "eat your spinach". We don't push spinach as much today, as our parents
did. From a nutrition standpoint, perhaps we should.Whether our parents knew
it or not, spinach truly is good for you. It is packed with vitamins and
minerals. Even Popeye knew the benefits of this healthy food.
When we speak of spinach, most people still think about the cooked, usually
boiled, often mushy green vegetable. It is amazing how many people have never
tried the mild flavored spinach in a salad. Fewer still, think about where
they can use spinach. It mixes well in many recipes, and can be found in
places like stuffed shells, lasagna, and soups.
Did you Know? Spinach is an ingredient of one of the most popular
tomato juices? That's right, without Spinach, you would be drinking V7.
Varieties of Spinach:
Days to Maturity:
45 to 50 days. Spinach can be harvested over a couple of weeks.
Sowing Spinach Seeds:
Plant in rows. Sow Spinach seeds 1/2" to 1" apart. Cover very lightly, 1/2"
deep, with soil. Final spacing of the plants should be 2" to 3" apart. Water
lightly and daily for three to five days. Heavy watering can wash the seeds
out of the soil or wash them too deeply into the soil. Provide 12" between
rows.
How to Grow Spinach Plants:
Grow Spinach plants in full sun. Spinach plants like cool weather and
lots of moisture in rich, well drained soil.
Growing spinach at a fast pace, will produce the most flavorful, and tender
leaves. That means plenty of water, and a healthy dose of fertilizer. Keep
plants well weeded.
TIP: Use succession planting, by sowing a row or partial row every
two weeks. This will provide fresh Spinach for most of the year.
Insects and Pests:
Regardless of whether people like spinach, it is certain that insects and
some animals do...especially bunnies. For the bunnies, a rabbit fence is
in your future. For insects, there are insecticides which can be applied,
but require several days before you can harvest eat the spinach. We like
to avoid insecticides on leafy vegetables wherever possible. We suggest organic
sprays, and a willingness to give up some of the harvest to insects, over
using pesticides. After all, one of the reasons most of us have gardens is
to avoid the pesticides.
Diseases of Spinach:
Spinach is fairly resistant to most plant diseases. However, it will wilt
and rot in hot, humid weather. The plant will also bolt, or go to the seed
stage, in high when the weather gets hot.
Hardiness:
Like most leafy vegetables, Spinach thrives in cooler weather, with moderate
moisture. It does not like mid-summer heat, and dry conditions. However,
you will find some varieties that are slow to bolt. Many gardeners plant
a crop for spring and early summer harvest and leave the mid summer months
to heat loving tomatoes and corn. Then, as the late summer heat begins to
wane, they plant a Crop for fall harvest.
Spinach will survive a light frost.
Are Deer, Bunnies or birds feasting on your plants?
Brunch time is over.....period!
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More Information:
Buy Vegetable Seeds Finest quality Ferry Morse Seed,
America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee to grow".
Spinach and Mushroom Recipe |
