How to Grow Spinach From Seeds- Complete Guide
Introduction
The tasty and nutritious spinach is one of the most famous or possibly the most famous leafy green vegetables. It goes in smoothies, stir fry, salads, soups, savory dishes, bread, pasta, curries almost in everything. Also, it is one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Today we will see everything that we need to know about growing spinach from seeds successfully. Towards the end, we will also see the nutritional benefits, why spinach can be a dangerous food and possible remedies for that. So let’s begin.
Botanical Name
The botanical name of spinach is
Spinacia oleracea L.
It is an annual or biennial plant. that means it lasts for a year or two years.
Origin of Spinach
Different countries use variations of the name spinach but in India and its neighboring countries, it is also known by the name Palak. It is actually an ancient vegetable that originated in Persia and from there it was introduced to India and China. It was brought to the western world from Spain. Some archeologists dug out ancient fossils of spinach seeds in France which indicates that it was present in the twelfth century in France. Isn’t it amazing?
Variety
Let’s see what varieties we can grow
There are different varieties of spinach but they are mainly classified based on the texture of the leaves, namely curly and smooth. The curly varieties are slow-growing varieties and smooth ones are fast-growing. The curly spinach is also called savoy and is better tasting than the smooth ones. That is the reason why they are commonly grown by home gardeners. Again depending on the bolt resistance that means not producing seeds easily as soon as the temperature rises, there are different varieties. Traditionally the seeds of the slow bolting varieties were prickly like the ones I have. But due to the advances in agricultural research, now the round seeded slow bolting varieties are also being developed by researchers.
Image Source: 2016 Organic Production and IPM Guide for Spinach
The variety that I have is probably Bloomsdale long-standing spinach. The leaves of this spinach are not overly curly. One of my friends gave me these seeds and I grew them for a couple of years and then last year I saved some seeds from my plants.
Seed to Harvest Time for Spinach
Seed to harvest time changes depending on the variety and the stage at which you would like to harvest. But, in general,
30–38 Baby Spinach
40- 50 Fast Growing
50–70 Savoy and slow-growing varieties. They have mainly crinkly leaves.
When to start
Spinach is a cold-weather crop. So, the best time to start spinach seeds is in fall or late winter so that you can enjoy it in Fall through spring. I’m fortunate that I enjoy the warmth of the sun most of the year. But spinach doesn’t do well at high temperatures. So, I start the seeds at least 2–3 weeks ahead of having an optimal temperature.
Spinach grows best at temperatures 55–60°F but it can sustain the lower temperature up to 18°F and even freeze. I started seeds in the second week of October but if fall starts early in your growing zone then you can plan ahead and start the seeds 2–3 weeks before the desired temperature for outdoor growing. From my personal experience, I have observed that it is better to have well-established seedlings ready to go outdoors in their final location before the winter starts. Even though spinach tolerates cold, the seeds germinate at temperatures as low as 32°F, they grow slower in their initial period if the temperature goes very low. We are experiencing a severe frost and extremely low temperatures currently that may go to -13°F in the next week. I wonder if my plants will handle that kind of extreme. I’ll update you on how they do in extreme cold.
Growing Requirements
Soil Requirements
Spinach prefers slightly acidic soil (pH 6.5–7) that is rich in organic matter.
Fertilizers
To the soil mix, you can add any good quality organic fertilizer designed especially for leafy vegetables. Such fertilizers are well balanced with phosphorus and potassium in a higher concentration than Nitrogen. If you prefer making your own then you can add the mixture of blood meal, bone meal, and wood ash.
Seed Sowing
Here are my spinach seeds that I saved from my plants last year. They are prickly. I’m going to start them in this self-watering container. I started the seeds in mid-October because in Texas we get winter much later in the year than many other zones. But you can start depending on your growing zone. Remember to start the seeds 2–3 weeks before.
Seed Spacing
You can space the seeds 2 inches apart to prepare seedlings. That way it is easier to separate thes seedlings. If direct sown, seed spacing is usually 12 inches apart. The varieties that produce larger leaves can be planted 12–18 inches apart. But if you want it for salad and need baby leaves then you can plant them 6 inches apart.
Seed Depth
Seeds are sown 1/4 to 1/2 inches deep.
Germination Time for Spinach
Germination time for spinach is very short, just 3–5 days. The seedlings came up just in two days since my seeds were very fresh and healthy. As soon as the temperature started cooling down, I moved them to their final spot. I planted some seedlings in one of my DIY compost bin planters. I had a variety of winter vegetables ready to move in raised beds. So, I just used a few of the spinach seedlings. The rest are still in my starter pots. The spinach in the compost bin grew pretty quickly and I harvest the leaves regularly.
I have now moved the second batch of spinach seedlings to a raised bed. These seedlings are tiny. As soon as the temperature gets better, The seedlings will grow faster. At this point, my only expectation from these baby plants is to come out of this bad weather safe and sound. If everything goes well, I’ll enjoy the harvest of fresh leaves from these plants till mid-late spring.
Leaves of the Spinach
They are medium to deep green in color and delicate. Some fast-growing varieties have lighter leaves. The leaves are soft and can easily get bruised because the water content of spinach leaves is 93%. The rest is a blend of all multivitamins. Spinach is rich in Vit A, C, K, E, B, and many other minerals and microelements.
Seed Production
In mid-late spring the plants will bolt. Spinach unlike many other vegetables is a dioecious plant. That means male and female plants are separate. Rarely a single plant may produce both types of flowers. As the plant approaches bolting, the stems get longer. On thin strand-like stems develop tiny flowers. Pollination results in seeds that are attached directly to these strands.
Pests on Spinach
A number of pests attack spinach-like leafminers, aphids, and slugs. You can plant some flowering plants next to spinach to attract bees and other beneficial insects. Beneficial insects help tremendously if you want to avoid any pesticides in your vegetable garden.
Spinach can get infected by fungal infections too. Avoiding overly moist soil helps. Pests activity is low during winter and at that time you can enjoy a clean harvest.
Health Benefits
Coming on to the health aspect, spinach is always associated with a healthy diet.
If you remember the cartoon popeye, he always used to eat canned spinach. Rich in iron, vitamin A and Calcium, spinach helps to manage diseases like anemia; night blindness; weak bones and teeth. It is a good source of antioxidants and dietary fibers for patients with chronic systemic diseases like diabetes, hypertension. The folic acid and other B vitamins in spinach help to prevent folic acid deficiency in pregnant ladies. Adding vitamin C rich spinach to the diet can improve oral health. There are many other benefits of spinach still it can cause some trouble if you eat in excess or have some health conditions.
Popeye image: By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65303730
Dietary Precautions
Many people do not tolerate green leafy vegetables. They feel upset stomach. Or sometimes your doctor might tell you to cut down on leafy vegetables after seeing your blood report or if you have kidney stones. But we know that leafy greens are healthy then why exactly leafy vegetables are associated with kidney stones?
I have mentioned in my earlier videos too, that many healthy foods like beans, green leafy vegetables, beets, cocoa, and some other foods contain some antinutritional factors like oxalates. This chemical oxalic acid is actually water-soluble. It is also produced by the liver. It should ideally wash off when you drink water, isn’t it? but these oxalates have a bad habit to combine with the minerals in your body and form insoluble compounds. Kidneys cannot pass them off easily through urine.
Also, these insoluble compounds irritate the inner linings of the intestines and cause irritation. This may lead to bleeding and ulcers in the intestines.
Then again when the oxalates also produce hydrogen peroxide in some bodily processes. This hydrogen peroxide destroys some important disease-fighting cells (phagocytes) in the body making you weak.
Finally, as it combines with the minerals like calcium, less calcium is available resulting in calcium deficiency.
So what to do? Shouldn’t we stop eating spinach altogether?
Preventive Measures to Reduce the Harmful Effects of Oxalates
Firstly, I strongly believe in the fact that anything in excess is a toxin. Just because spinach is healthy we cannot just keep eating spinach or leafy vegetables. The diet should be always balanced.
Even in my backyard garden, I plant a variety of edible vegetables. That way, I get a little bit of everything. Nothing in excess. I can appreciate and enjoy homegrown vegetables without wasting them. And, I can also include a variety of foods in my diet.
Secondly, some theories suggest that boiling the spinach reduces the oxalate content to some extent.
Thirdly there is research that suggests that consuming spinach with milk products is helpful. The theory is- milk products contain calcium. Consuming additional calcium helps to reduce calcium deficiency because there is enough calcium to bond with the oxalic acid. This could be the reason why several spinach dishes are prepared with cheese and paneer (cottage cheese).
Overall, in my opinion, the first solution is the best to have some moderation while eating such foods.
Related Videos
References
Health Benefits of Spinach- Spinach Natural Laxative
