HOW TO GROW SPINACH AT HOME: Step by step guide

This ultimate guide on how to grow spinach will help you to grow spinach. Learn step by step to grow spinach in your garden. Spinach is a very nutritious and easy to grow leafy vegetable. Even a beginner gardener can grow spinach successfully by following this simple guide.

Introduction

Spinach( Spinacea oleracea) is a leafy vegetable. It is rich source of vitamin A and B and good source of protein, calcium and iron. Moreover, like most of the leafy vegetables it also contains carotenoids  and zeaxanthin. 

You can easily grow them in your home garden. It is commonly cultivated as a cool season vegetable. Spinach can withstand frost and can also tolerate warm weather. you can cultivate them round the year in the regions where relatively mild climate prevails.

Varieties Of Spinach

Savoy Spinach: Savoy spinach is more productive than the other two forms of spinach. It has very cranky leaves that grow pretty low. Examples – Bloomsdale and Regiment .

Semi savoy Spinach: It is a variety that grows more upright than savoy spinach. Its leaves are much less cranky. They are disease and bolt resistant. They are best suited to be grown in home. Examples – Indian summer, Tyee, Catalina.

Smooth leaved Spinach: It is a variety which has a very smooth surface and is easy to clean. They are the first spinach used as canned and frozen variety but they can also be sold as fresh leafy vegetables. Examples – Space spinach, Red Carnival.

How To Grow Spinach?

To grow spinach successfully, you will need to know growing season, potting mix, pot selection and propagation method. And in this article I am going to describe everything.

Growing Season

Spinach is a cool season vegetable. You can sow spinach seeds during fall, early spring and even in winters. It can grow well in temperature range varying from 23 to 1.7 degrees Celsius. However, you can easily plant spinach in USDA plant hardiness zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

For better germination rate of seeds the atmospheric temperature should be less than 21 degrees Celsius. But, if you are living in warmer climate then you can grow Malabar spinach. It can grow very well in hot tropical climate.

READ MORE: HOW TO GROW MALABAR SPINACH? COMPLETE GUIDE

Potting Mix

Spinach plant loves well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Soil pH range of 6.5 to 7.0 is ideal for growing this leafy vegetable. You can consider sandy loam soil for good yield. But avoid using clayey soil as waterlogging problem can affect the roots.

You can prepare the ideal potting mix with 60% normal garden soil + 40% any bulky organic manure. However, if your soil is too much clayey then you can add 30% river sand in this mixture.

Selection Of Pot

For growing spinach you can select any pot that is at least 6 to 10 inches deep. Moreover make sure that the selected pot has 3 to 4 drainage holes at the bottom. You can select earthen, cemented, or plastic pots.

Large sized pot will allow to grow higher amount of spinach. So if you have proper space then select wider pots. You can also grow them directly in the ground soil if you have backyard garden.

Propagation

You can propagate spinach from high quality & disease resistant seeds. I prefer growing them by direct seeding method. Fill the pot with potting mix and leave 1 to 2 inch space at the top. Make sure to avoid blockage of drainage holes at the bottom.

Sow spinach seeds by broadcasting and cover with a thin layer of potting mix. Apply water gently and keep the pot under direct sunlight. Maintain adequate moisture in the pot but do not over water. After 4 to 7 days you will notice growth of new seedlings.

Thin out the weak seedlings for healthy growth of the plants. Keep healthy plants in the pot and let them grow.

Spinach Plant Care

Once you are successful in germinating seeds of this leafy vegetable then you will need to take care of your plant. And this guide will help you in taking care of your plant. Know about sunlight, watering, fertilizers requirements of spinach plant. Moreover, get to know on how to deal with pest & diseases.

Sunlight

Spinach plant loves full sunlight to grow well. However it can also survive and grow in partial shade sunlight. Provide at least 5 to 7 hours of direct sunlight to your spinach plants. But if you are living in an apartment and the growing space doesn’t receive enough sunlight than you can use grow lights.

Watering

Spinach plant loves moist soil to grow. Less amount of soil moisture can cause bolting and decrease crop yield. But do not over water. I prefer watering only when the top layer of soil seems dry. During winter season your plant will not require much frequent watering.

However the best practice is to water according to the soil condition and plant requirement.

Fertilizers

Spinach plant can grow very well in nitrogen rich soil. I prefer adding only organic compost for growing spinach. You can start feeding your plant with one to two handful of any organic compost like vermicompost once after every 25 to 30 days.

You can also use jeevamrit or sanjeevak for fertilizing spinach plants.

Pests & Diseases

Pests and diseases can disturb your plants. And if you will not deal with them then they can even make you sad by destroying your plants. So it is best to identify and control them. Pests and diseases like leaf miners, mosaic virus, or downy mildew can harm your plants.

To deal with leaf miners you can plant radishes near your spinach plant. As they will attract them and will help to keep this pest away.

READ MORE: HOW TO GROW RADISHES AS COMPANION PLANT?

Once your plant will get infected with mosaic virus then it is quite hard to control. However, you can control the insect vectors such as aphids that spreads this disease. In case of infection remove the infected portion away as soon as possible.

READ MORE: HOW TO CONTROL APHIDS? THE BEST GUIDE!

Harvesting

Depending on the variety harvesting time can differ. As there is a little difference in leaf size according to the varieties. But the practice is to harvest the leafy vegetable when the leaf becomes 3 to 5 inches long. Do not harvest the complete plant.

Cut only the leafy portion of the plant and leave the green branches. They will regrow and you will be able to harvest them again till the end of the season.

Author’s Note

I hope you are now clear on how to grow spinach. If you have any idea, suggestions, or query then leave your comment below. You can also connect with Agriculture Review on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.