Healthy Living – Growing Spinach in Your Garden

Growing spinach is an excellent idea for anyone interested in a cost effective way to add valuable nutrients to a diet. Spinach is a member of the green family that can easily be grown by sowing seeds. An excellent source of vitamins A and C as well as iron and calcium, this leafy green vegetable comes in different textures and ranges in color from light to dark green. There are certain times of the year that are best for growing this vegetable. While relatively simple to grow, you should have an understanding of the best time to plant.

Spinach typically comes in two different varieties, savoyed or semi-savoyed type, and smooth-leafed. The former variety is best if grown during the winter months and is characterized by crisp leaves that are dark in color. Smooth-leaf grows straight up and down and tends to be a lighter shade of green. One of the advantages of this type of vegetable is that it grows quickly, and the leaves can be eaten before the vegetable has matured.

While planting this vegetable in the late winter is ideal, those who choose to plant in the fall should do so in ample time before the first frost. Be sure to plant seeds every three weeks as growth happens quickly, so continued sowing is ideal. Avoid planting in summer months as the soil and weather is not optimal during this time.

For best results be sure to loosen the soil before planting seeds. In the soil, add a combination of soybean meal and alfalfa meal. The seeds should be planted about two inches apart and approximately one half inch deep. Rows should be spaced eight inches from each other.

Because this vegetable grows so quickly, you have the option to pluck leaves to be used for cooking as soon as six weeks after planting. The root of the plant should remain in the soil so that growth and harvest can continue. Do not uproot the vegetable until it becomes noticeably tall, which typically occurs in the springtime.

There are a few techniques to practice to keep the spinach in optimal condition. Making sure that there is little to no mulch surrounding the area where the vegetable is planted will help to keep slugs away. Additionally, rodents are likely to stay away if the seeds are planted enough distance from each other. Yellowing or aging leaves can be an indicator of a viral disease that can attack the vegetable. If you notice this you may wish to uproot the vegetable to avoid any future damage.

You can enjoy the sweet, crisp taste of this vegetable quickly after planting it. However, be sure to continue planting seeds so that the vegetables will continue to grow and you can enjoy fresh greens all season long.

Growing spinach is not difficult if you’re aware of the best times to plant seeds, as well as the techniques of harvesting. This tasty vegetable is loaded with nutrients and can be used as part of a salad or main course meal. You may want to try different varieties of this vegetable, as well as different methods of preparing it to determine your favorite spinach type and recipe.

And if you enjoyed reading Susan’s article here on how to grow spinach, you may also like this related one on growing spinach.