Spinach is a great season extension crop. It loves cooler weather and in USDA Zone 6B, it’s a great choice for early spring and late fall. Many people struggle growing spinach but you just need to work with the weather.
Honestly, the biggest problem is that most people plant spinach outside in late April or May and by that time you have missed the opportune moment. Get it in the ground early!
Types And Varieties of Spinach
There are several types of spinach which kind of describe the leaf or stem. They are Arrowhead, smooth-leaf, savoyed-leaf, and red-veined types. Typically we see the smooth type in grocery stores because it's the easiest to clean and process.
Savoy
Savoyed types have crinkly leaves. Bloomsdale is kind of the classic in this area and it's a great choice. It does especially well in fall plantings.
The other savoy that I've grown is Equinox which seems to cope with the heat and was a better Zone 6 choice for me. Although like any spinach it will bolt in the summer heat and longer days.
Smooth
Smooth spinach types typically grow quickly and you can start harvesting in just a month for baby spinach.
Space is my favorite spinach variety, partly because it is ready to harvest quickly and is great for early spring salads. It's also compact so you can grow a lot in a small space.
Spinach Look A Likes
Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach is not true spinach but is often treated like spinach. It's a leafy green from Asia that is great for salads.
I have grown the Malabar in the summer and its a nice green but gets kind of slimy when you cook it. Kinda like okra.
New Zealand
New Zealand spinach is another Asian green that is not a true spinach. Both of them can handle hotter weather.
Planting
Starting Seeds
Spinach seeds are pretty easy to handle. Prepare soil beds in the fall so you can get a jump start planting spinach as soon as soil temperatures start to rise.
Spinach will grow in full sun or part shade. It will actually like afternoon shade in late spring. It likes cool moist soil with a pH averaging 6.5.
So spinach is an ideal candidate to direct sow in the garden. You can also transplant it. My preference was always to direct sow in spring and transplant in fall just because that was easier to give it the ideal germination temps.
Sow the seeds two inches apart in a very shallow trench about one foot apart.
Check out my comprehensive growing guide!
Spinach Germination
Spinach unlike many crops likes to germinate in cooler temps. The ideal temps are 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. It will even germinate in soil temps in the 40s but much slower. When temps climb above 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 Celcius the germination rate seriously declines.
Germination rates on spinach seeds are typically only fair. And seeds don't store well. Some gardeners soak seeds for six hours before planting which is called priming.
Honestly, I never did that. But I also make sure their seed bed stays moist. Usually, that's not an issue in spring but for fall plantings don't forget to water!
Leaf Spot can be a problem in spinach (see below)
Raised Beds and Containers
Spinach does great in raised beds and containers as well as in garden soil. Spinach enjoys being close to their neighbors.
If you use the square foot gardening method, plant 9 seeds per square foot. This spacing also works well for containers.
You can use a 4-gallon or bigger grow bag as well.
Fertilization
Spinach is a heavy feeder. Work in plenty of compost. In addition, I foliar feed spinach with fish emulsion after harvesting leaves.
Season Extension
Spinach does great in the early spring and late fall in the greenhouse or a cold frame. For Zone 6B I typically planted it outside under cover in March and also in late September or October.
There is a fabulous book called The Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman. If you haven't read this book you should. It's a classic.
Coleman lives in Maine and grows greens all year undercover.
Check out my YouTube channel!
Spinach and Warm Temps
When the temps rise above 70 degrees you will want to place a shade cloth over the bed to get a couple more weeks out of your spinach. It is also going to react to daylight hours so eventually, it will bolt and go to seed.
Use the shade cloth again in the early fall to keep the seedlings cool.
Spinach Pests
Spinach does have several pests. The succulent green leaves attract many chewing insects. In addition, in the southern areas of Zone 6 spinach is prone to many molds and fungi.
There are many species of aphids and they come in a range of colors from almost clear to redish brown.
Aphids
Aphids can be a problem with spinach. Monitor your plants. Spray them with soapy water or Monteray Organic garden insect spray.
Also plant crops such as yarrow, dill, or cosmos to draw in ladybugs.
Leaf Spot
There are several kinds of Leaf Spot and they can be a problem for spinach. Leaf Spot on any plant interrupts its ability to photosynthesize and produce food. Warm weather and high humidity bring it on and it affects chard and beets as well.
Leaf Spot can spread by infected seed and weed hosts. Make sure your seed company tests for diseases on seeds. There is no cure but you can spray with Neem Oil to try to keep it from spreading.
Harvest
Harvest spinach by cutting the leaves. I always harvest a row and then give it some fish emulsion fertilizer to help it recover and produce more. If you had good germination and your plants are crowded you can cut off every other one and leave the rest to grow bigger.
Read my article on my planting schedule for Zone 6B
Popeye The Sailor Man
We can’t talk about spinach without mentioning Popeye the Sailor Man. I remember the cartoon as a child in the 1960s.
Popeye actually first originated during the Great Depression when it was felt that American children were not getting enough vegetables in their diets. Because spinach is high in iron the creators had Popeye gain strength when he at spinach.
He was famous for saying I'm strong to the "finich", 'cause I eats me spinach.
This statue of Popeye the Sailor Man is located in the South Texas town of Crystal City where huge spinach farms thrive.
Preparing and Cooking
One thing Popeye got wrong is that he was eating spinach from a can - gross. Your homegrown spinach will taste much better.
Spinach is a very versatile crop. It can be used as a salad green or cooked.
Spinach is fabulous in omelets and as a pizza topping!
Creamed spinach
Saute with some tomatoes and ground sausage for a pasta topping
Steamed for a side dish
Add to Dahl
Use in grilled paninis
Swiss chard is a beautiful plant to grow and cook. Both the stems and the leaves are delicious. Swiss Chard is a fast-growing crop. Baby leaves can be harvested at 30 days and 60 days for bunching.