How to Grow Spinach Plant at Home

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Tricks to Grow Spinach in Your Own Home (Indoor Garden or Container)

Most of the people don’t even know how easily they can grow spinach at home. Moreover, as a nutritious vegetable, spinach is a must to keep you’re your daily food. Spinach is a green-colored edible leafy flowering plant that has low calorie and enriched with anti-oxidant properties, iron, vitamin-A, C, B complex (folic acid), thiamin, and potassium. So, let us know how to grow spinach plants at home and some of its parameters.

Major types of spinach

Varieties of spinach are there under three major types:

  • Savoy
  • Semi-savoy
  • Flat-leafed

Preferable season

Spinach is winter season crop, so it’s production rate is good enough under cold weather. That is, it has to be cultivated either in the early spring or in the fall.

Time of planting

The time of farming can be chosen based on three harvesting periods.

  • Ng harvest: Planting time is 4 to 6 weeks before last spring frost. Harvesting should be done before reaching 14 hours of sunlight daily.
  • ll harvest: Planting time is 6 to 8 weeks before first fall frost.
  • Er harvest: If you want a small crop in late autumn, then plant spinach in autumn.

Preferred temperature

A suitable temperature is 35⁰F (1.7⁰C) to 75⁰F (23.9⁰C)

Seeds/Transplant

Spinach can be grown from seeds and transplants, as well. If you buy seeds, then get a fresh one. You can also purchase seedlings, or you start them indoors in peat pots.

Other than your field containers that can be used

You can use poly bags, shallow tubs, cement pots, and even in discarded broken tubs for growing spinach at home.

Steps/methods for planting seeds in the container

  • Mix 60% garden soil and 40% organic compost in a box
  • The desired pot for planting should be big enough having drainage holes at the bottom
  • Holes have to be covered with small stones or gravel and then filled with the mixture made before
  • At the time of sowing the seeds, the soil mixture should be moist enough but not soggy
  • Spread the seeds avoiding overcrowding as it stunts the growth of the plant
  • Again, cover it with a fine layer of the soil mixture prepared before
  • Water it thoroughly and gently
  • Ensure full sun for the pots and moisture of the soil and fertilize it with nitrogen fertilizer like decomposed cow dung, leaf compost after every 20-25 days
  • Harvest it when the leaves reach the required height

Steps for planting in the garden

The steps are much like planting in the pot; just some points have to be noted.

  • Sow seeds 1/2″ (1cm) deep & 2 inches (5cm) apart
  • Raised beds are much preferred & rows should be spaced apart of at least 8 inches (20 cm)
  • If you are transplanting spinach seedlings, then the space of plants should be 12 to 18 inches apart

Spinach indoors

Seat trays can be used for starting a seat indoors. The timing should be four weeks before the last frost. And that previous frost spinach seedlings will be ready to be transplanted outside. 25⁰F is the maximum temperature for the seedlings o handle.

Full sun fact

Although it is a winter season crop and starts to bolt in excessive heat, you have to ensure a place of full sun for the seedlings.

Excessive heat

Covering with a shade type cloth should be done for lowering the temperature if it goes above 80⁰F. Water twice a day if you are cultivating in hot weather.

Nitrogen requirement & timing

It is to be noted that the nitrogen level of the soil shouldn’t fall, or else the growth will be slowed down. So, nitrogen-based fertilizer should be used when needed. Fertilizer should be added according to label recommendations. For rapid growth, spinach can be fertilized every three weeks.

Soil condition

The soil should be moist, enriched in nitrogen. You should water the leaves very gently.

Suitable pH of soil for planting spinach   

Under the pH of 6.2 to 6.9, spinach gives a good production.

Spacing

Spacing is essential so that seeds can be planted 6 inches (15.25 cm) apart. Again, to keep the seedlings far from each other thinning can be done during growth.

Watering

To keep the soil, moist watering should be done thoroughly. It should also be done gently so that the fragile stems of the spinach don’t break.

Way to control weed

Spreading mulch like grass, leaf, straw, or hay over planting location will prevent weeds from sprouting. Pulling can also be done, but it can harm the fragile spinach roots. So, mulch is a better option.

The bugs which can attack your spinach

Caterpillar, wireworms, crown mites, aphids, and leaf miners are the main bugs that you should lookout.

Period of harvesting

When the leaves are 3 or 4 inches in length, usually, you can harvest your spinach. Generally, the gap between planting and harvesting is 6 to 8 weeks. Bolted plants are bitter. So, in springtime, the plant should be harvested before it started to bolt. The collection has to be done before the leaves begin to turn yellow.

What shouldn’t be done during harvesting

You should harvest the outer leaves & let the inner leaves to be matured. The plant will die if you collect all the leaves at once.

Lastly

This was quite a lot about how to grow spinach plants at home; the common question answered quickly. Spinach can be stored up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Canning should be done for long-time preservation. So, if taken proper care, you can grow spinaches indoor.

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