Spinach, a super–cold-hardy vegetable, is a tender-leafed crop that can be planted in very early spring, as well as in fall and winter. Spinach has similar growing conditions and requirements as lettuce, but it is more versatile in both its nutrition and its ability to be eaten raw or cooked. It is higher in iron, calcium, and vitamins than most cultivated greens, and one of the best sources of vitamins A, B, and C. PLANTING • Prepare the soil with aged manure about a week before planting, or, you may wish to prepare your spot in the fall so that you can sow the seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as the ground thaws. (Learn more about preparing soil for planting.) • If you live in a place with mild winters, you can also plant in the fall. • Although seedlings can be propagated indoors, it is not recommended, as seedlings are difficult to transplant. • Spring plantings can be made as soon as the soil can be properly worked. It’s important to seed as soon as you can to give spinach the required 6 weeks of cool weather from seeding to harvest. • Select a site with full sun to light shade and well-drained soil. • Sow seeds ½ inch to 1 inch deep, covering lightly with soil. Sow about 12 seeds per foot of row, or sprinkle over a wide row or bed. • Soil should not be warmer than 70º F in order for germination. • Successive plantings should be made every couple weeks during early spring. Common spinach cannot grow in midsummer. (For a summer harvest, try New Zealand Spinach or Malabar Spinach, two similar leafy greens.) • Plant in mid-August for a fall crop, ensuring that soil temps are cool enough. • Gardeners in northern climates can harvest early-spring spinach if it’s planted just before the cold weather arrives in fall. Protect the young plants with a cold frame or thick mulch through the winter, then remove the protection when soil temperature in your area reaches 40º. • Water the new plants well in the spring. CARE • Fertilize only if necessary due to slow growth, or use as a supplement if your soil pHis inadequate. Use when plant reaches ⅓ growth. • When seedlings sprout to about two inches, thin them to 3-4 inches apart. • Beyond thinning, no cultivation is necessary. Roots are shallow and easily damaged. • Keep soil moist with mulching. • Water regularly. • Spinach can tolerate the cold; it can survive a frost and temps down to 15ºF. (See local frost dates) PESTS/DISEASES • Leaf Miners: Radishes attract leaf miners away from spinach. The damage that the leaf miners do to radish leaves doesn’t prevent the radishes from growing underground. • Bolting • Mosaic Virus/Blight • Downy Mildew HARVEST/STORAGE • Keep an eye on your plants. Harvest when leaves reach your desired size. • Don’t wait too long to harvest, or wait for larger leaves; bitterness will set in quickly after maturity. • The whole plant can be harvested at once, and cut at the base, or leaves may be picked off plants one layer at a time, giving inner layers more time to develop.
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