Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Spinach prefers cool soil for reliable germination over 5–14 days and produces succulent leaves before summer heat or long days trigger bolting. Direct sowing in early spring and again in autumn fits its short productive window of about 35–55 days from sowing. High weekly water keeps leaves tender when heat arrives.
Plant family Amaranthaceae · Also called garden spinach
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Seed in cool soil for best stands.
Sow about 1.3 cm deep outdoors from six weeks before the last frost to two weeks before it. No indoor start is listed; cool soil suits emergence over 5–14 days.
Hardy plants tolerate frost once established. Resow every 14 days while temperatures stay cool.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use part sun where spring stays bright.
Thin to 8–15 cm between plants with rows about 30 cm apart. Leafy rosettes stay low but need room for repeated leaf picks.
Containers need 20 cm depth and about 5 litres. Shallow pots dry quickly, which encourages early bolting.
Core measurements
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Allow for the mature form of the selected variety.
Install support early when it is required or useful.
Keep soil moist through emergence.
Four hours of direct sun satisfies part-sun tolerance. Spinach quality drops sharply in heat even with adequate water.
High water at 35–50 mm weekly with pH 6.0–7.5. The key tip favors spring and autumn sowings over summer.
Sunlight
Part sun tolerant (4+ direct-sun hours/day)
Soil pH
A suitable acidity range for general growth.
Weekly water
High water need.
Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially during establishment and harvest development.
Treat summer sowings as a gamble.
Expect 35–55 days from sowing. Pick outer leaves or cut whole plants young before stems elongate.
Bolting ends the crop. Plan a autumn sowing when summer plantings fail.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Seed germinates best in cool soil; use early spring and autumn sowings rather than summer.
Spinach growing questions
Why avoid summer spinach sowing?
Seed germinates best in cool soil; heat triggers bolting per the key tip.
Is spinach started indoors?
This profile lists direct outdoor sowing only, six weeks before frost to two weeks before.
How is spinach harvested?
Use outer leaves or whole young plants before flowering stalks form.
What succession timing is listed?
14 days between sowings during suitable cool weather.
Profile values are crop-level planning ranges compiled from sources S1,S2,S3,S4. Local climate and variety can change actual results.
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