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We all know that fresh food is good for us, and there is no food fresher than those you grew yourself. Spinach may be one of the best foods which you can grow, but would you be able to enjoy this food all the year round? You should be able to grow spinach almost every month of the year if you do it correctly. Spinach grows best in cool, but not cold weather. It grows best in the fall or the spring time, but the summer heat can kill it off if you’re not careful. Spinach has some very specific requirements to grow it throughout the year, and if you do it wrong, then it can easily be wilted. Below, we’ll discuss the best way to grow spinach. Can You Grow Spinach In Pots? Spinach thrives in containers, provided they have between a ten- and twelve-inch pot. You don’t want to go for a pot that is too deep and pick a wide container instead. Each plant would need between three and five inches between themselves and other plants in order to allow the leaves to grow to their best side. Pots also come with the other advantages such as: Being able to move the location of the spinach around depending on temperatureBeing able to better safeguard against soil borne pestsBeing able to harvest before some other wildlife eats your spinach To plant the seeds, dig out about half an inch to an inch into the soil of the pot or the window boxes and bury lightly. The plant should germinate between five to fourteen days, but this does depend on the growing conditions and variety of spinach. If you have planted spinach with intent to move them later, then wait for them to sprout two or three leaves above the soil before attempting to move them. Before this point, you might destroy the roots and kill the plants. What’s The Best Time For Sowing Spinach To Harvest All Year Round? The truth is there is no one location that is best for growing spinach if you plan to grow it all year round. It is a cool, fall or early spring vegetable, so naturally, the best times to grow spinach would be: August to January when sowing seeds indoorsSeptember to February when sowing seeds outdoors. As a rule of thumb, it is after the danger of frost, but before it begins getting too much warmer. In theory, if you sow spinach during these months, then you should be able to harvest spinach all year long. Just remember that when you plant in months like January, when the sun is low and weak, the plant’s growth will be stunted and take a lot longer, so add more times to your prediction. What Is The Best Temperature To Grow Spinach At? The best temperature for growing spinach is around fifty- and sixty-degrees Fahrenheit, but spinach can still grow well at temperatures as low as fifteen degrees Fahrenheit. This means that if it becomes too warm, or too cold outside, then make sure to move the spinach inside where you can control the temperature better. What Is The Optimum Amount Of Sunlight For A Spinach Plant? The best amount of sunlight for spinach depends on the season and time of year. In fall, or other mild climates, you can keep the spinach in a sunny areas (4-6 hours of sunlight approximately)In spring or summer, in warmer climates, keep the spinach out of direct sunlight and in the shadeIn winter, cover if there is a frost risk but allow for more sunlight. When growing outside, it is suggested that you find a place which is protected from the midday sun, or else grow some taller crops such as sweetcorn which could protect them from the sun. What Is The Optimum Frequency Of Fertilizer Used For Spinach? Fertilizing spinach at frequent intervals is perfect. When growing spinach indoors, nitrogen is crucial to keep it healthy, and blending a time-release fertilizer with the soil when planting it is a good way to keep it healthy. Your goal is to keep the soil well fertilized but remaining in a pH of 6.5 to 7. If you keep finding your spinach struggling, you might want to check the pH. What Is The Optimum Frequency Of Watering For Spinach? The soil should be watered frequently, but the exact frequency is another thing which depends on a number of factors such as climate and the drainage of the pot. However, as a rule of thumb, you want the soil moist to the touch, but not sodden. Overwatering can lead to a number of issues such as: Rotting the rootsCultivating fungal diseases Water the plant at the base and avoid splashing water on the leaves. How To Deal With Pests And Disease Container-grown spinach are less likely to suffer from pests, but there are still a few critters that might snack on it if you don’t watch carefully, such as: CaterpillarsSlugsAphids A method of keeping it pest free which is safe for edible plants is to spray the plants with a neem oil solution. It will scare away many pests, including mildew. How Long Does Spinach Take To Grow? Most varieties of spinach takes between 37 and 45 days to fully mature, and it can be harvested as soon as there is a rosette with a handful of leaves. In order to have leafy greens all year round, you should maintain a supply of young transplants, but that is easy to do. Just sow a few pinches every week (whether indoors or outside) and grow them. Begin seeds indoors when the temperature is unfavorable outside. When Can I Begin Harvesting Spinach? After germination, it only takes about 36-50 days before you can begin harvesting the leaves, depending on the conditions and variety of spinach. But as a visual cue, you can harvest when the plant has grown leaves which are: Approximately three or four inches longA cluster of five or sixHealthy leaves (green color, hole free) The recommendation is that you cut off the outer leaves first and leave the inner ones so that they may be able to grow larger before you harvest them too. During their prime growth window in spring, you will be able to cut the entire plant off at the base and still have your spinach grow back ready to harvest again. Conclusion Spinach can be grown and harvested all year round, but only if the particular conditions are met. It is a vegetable which needs a cool climate in order to grow – so to grow it all year round, you need to keep it out of direct sunlight and in a cooler area. You also need to make sure the soil pH is neutral whilst giving the plant a ready supply of fertilizer and enough water to keep the soil moist to the touch, but not sodden. Around 35 to 50 days after first germinating, spinach is generally ready to be harvested and can continue to be harvested all through its growth period.

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