Spinach
Here are some tips for growing spinach:
Site, soil type:
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Spinach likes medium fertility in its soil.
It prefers cool weather.
It benefits from partial shade in summer.
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Planting requirements:
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Spinach can be planted early, as soon as the ground can be worked.
Sow seeds ½ inch deep, a few inches apart, eventually thinning to 12 inches. Row cover will help warm the soil and seeds for quicker germination.
Spinach grows best at 50-65 degrees.
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Nutrition/Fertilizer needs:
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Spinach likes nitrogen for strong leafy growth. Because spinach is grown when it’s cool when nitrogen is not as available, a quick release nitrogen fertilizer should be added. Water with fish fertilizer for a quick blast of nitrogen.
If plants become light green, it’s a sign of nitrogen lacking. Again, water with fish fertilizer.
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Water needs:
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Keep soil moist at all times for the best spinach plants.
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Other tips:
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Spinach is about the most frost hardy crop. I routinely over-winter spinach in my zone-5 snow-covered garden.
Your health will benefit from lots of spinach in your garden. To extend your spinach season plan to grow:
a variety in early spring that will grow very quickly but will bolt when it starts getting warm.
a slower variety later in spring that is very bolt resistant (try Johnny’s “Emu”).
another variety (quick or slow – depending on how warm your fall is) in the fall.
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It also will help keep the rabbits and deer from munching your goodies.