How to grow Spinach

At a glance

🌱 Grow your Spinach with GardenDex

• Reminders to water it, timed to your weather and whether it's in a pot
• Frost and disease alerts for your garden, the night before
• Follow it from seed to harvest, and see what your garden grew in $
• Point your camera at any plant or bug to identify it

🗓️ When to plant

Plant in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for an autumn harvest. In mild climates, sow successively every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvests.

🌰 How to plant

1. Sow seeds directly into garden beds or containers, spacing them about 5 cm (2 in) apart.
2. Press seeds gently into soil and cover with 1–2 cm (½–¾ in) of soil; water lightly.
3. Keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge (7–14 days).
4. Thin seedlings to final spacing once they develop their first true leaves.

💧 Care

• Water regularly to keep soil evenly moist; drought stress causes bolting (flowering).
• Mulch around plants to retain moisture and keep roots cool in warmer weather.
• Fertilize every 3–4 weeks with balanced or nitrogen-rich fertilizer to encourage leaf growth.
• Provide afternoon shade in hot climates to extend the harvest season and prevent early bolting.

🧺 Harvest

Begin harvesting outer leaves when plants are 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall by pinching or cutting them off; this encourages continued growth. Harvest the entire plant by cutting at soil level before it flowers, or enjoy successive pickings over several weeks.

🐛 Common problems

Aphids: Spray with a strong water stream or use insecticidal soap to dislodge and control populations.

Downy mildew: Improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and remove affected leaves promptly; resistant varieties are available.

Leaf spot: Water at soil level rather than overhead, remove infected leaves, and ensure adequate spacing for airflow.

🤝 Companion plants

💚 Good neighbours: Radishes, Carrots, Strawberries, Beans

⚠️ Keep apart from: Fennel, Potatoes

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