How to Grow Spinach in Your Garden and in Pots for an Abundant Harvest

Not only great in salads, spinach is a cold-hardy leafy green perfect for growing in your garden. Because it prefers moderate temperatures, spinach does wonderfully in early spring or late fall when temperatures are mild. To help you cultivate this delicious vegetable in your garden, we chatted with experts who shared their tips for planting, harvesting, and storing spinach. 

When to Plant Spinach

Spinach is a cool-season crop that prefers the moderate temperatures of spring and fall. “Spinach is best planted in early spring or fall when the weather is cool, as it prefers temperatures between 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Sara Rubens, certified garden coach and founder of Seed to Sanctuary. Hot weather causes the plant to bolt quickly. When spinach bolts, the plant focuses its energy on producing flowers and seeds rather than leaves. To avoid bolting, plant spinach four to six weeks before the last frost in your region, or plant in late summer for a fall harvest.

How to Plant Spinach

Spinach is easy to grow from seed. Sow the seeds in an area that receives adequate sunlight and has well-draining soil. The steps are the same whether you're planting spinach in containers, raised beds, or directly in the ground.

1. Loosen your garden bed’s soil and mix in compost to help nourish the spinach.
2. Plant seeds about 2 inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Space each row 12 inches apart.
3. Water the seedlings consistently to keep the soil moist, not soggy.
4. Once the seedlings sprout, thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart.

Types of Spinach to Grow

There are many different types of spinach to choose from. Here are some of the main types to grow in spring and fall:

• Savoy: This type of spinach is crinkly and hardy, but can be difficult to clean, says Carissa Kasper, founder of Seed & Nourish. Some varieties include: Bloomsdale, Tyee, and Sunangel.
• Semi-savoy: Similar in appearance to savoy spinach, but semi-savoy is moderately crinkled and easier to handle, says Kasper. Some varieties include: Kolibri, Tundra, and Acadia.
• Flat-leaf: Also known as smooth-leaf spinach, flat-leaf spinach is smooth, easy to wash, and great for salads, says Kasper. Some varieties include: Seaside, Olympia, and Red Tabby.

How to Care for Spinach

Spinach is a low-maintenance vegetable, but it needs the right amount of sunlight, well-draining soil, adequate watering, and mild temperatures in other to thrive.

Sunlight

Spinach needs at least four hours of sunlight daily, but six to 10 hours per day is ideal. "Like most vegetables, it will grow faster when placed in full sun," says Kasper. "If growing in summer, part-sun or shade cloth will help increase its harvesting window." 

Soil

Spinach does well in most soil types as long as it's well-draining. That said, you will see more robust growth in nitrogen-rich soils full of organic matter, Kasper notes.

Water

A leafy green, spinach does well in evenly moist but not soggy soil. Spinach should receive 1 to 2 inches of water per week for a healthy, thriving crop. Spinach will develop a bitter taste if it does not receive the water it needs.

Temperature

Spinach prefers cool to mild temperatures between 45 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Young seedlings can tolerate temperatures as low as 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but growth will be slow. Spinach cannot withstand temperatures over 75 degrees Fahrenheit or it will bolt. 

Fertilizer

For prolific plants, amend your soil with fertilizer about four weeks after thinning out your spinach seedlings. Spinach likes an organic foliar application of nitrogen-rich fertilizer made from kelp or fish, says Kasper.

How to Harvest Spinach

How and when you harvest spinach depends on whether you’re growing baby spinach or larger leaves.

Baby Spinach

Baby spinach leaves are typically harvested 20 to 35 days after planting. Harvest the leaves as needed by removing the outer leaves with your hands or scissors, cutting at the base of each leaf. Pick no more than 1/4 of the plant’s leaves at one time, or your plant might not have enough energy to keep producing leaves. 

Mature Spinach

It typically takes four to six weeks for spinach leaves to reach their full size. The harvesting process is the same as picking baby leaves—remove the outer leaves of the plant with your hands or scissors, cutting at the base of the plant. Removing the outer leaves encourages the spinach plant to generate new spinach leaves from the plant’s center.

How to Store Spinach

Spinach is best enjoyed fresh, so it's best to harvest it when you're ready to use it. If you're harvesting spinach for later use, rinse and clean the spinach leaves. Next, pat down the leaves with a cloth or paper towel, as any excess moisture can cause the spinach to become slimy. Place the leaves in a sealable container and store them in the refrigerator. Fresh spinach can last in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. 

Growing Spinach in Containers

Spinach is a wonderful crop to grow in containers. This is because you can plant spinach densely, meaning you will get a bountiful harvest without needing a lot of square footage, says Kasper. Spinach is a shallow-rooted plant, so it doesn't need a lot of soil depth, but the deeper your pot is, the more the soil will retain moisture. Ensure the container has a drainage hole for excess water to escape out of, and place the container in an area it will receive at least four hours of full sun.

Common Problems

Spinach faces a few challenges. Aphids and leaf miners are the most common garden pests to infest spinach. Introducing beneficial insects like ladybugs is one way to treat these pests. Another effective deterrent is to apply neem oil to the leaves of your plant.

Another common ailment of spinach is downy mildew, which causes yellow or light green spots on the upper surface of the leaves and a white fungus on the lower surface. Treat downy mildew by applying a fungicide to the leaves.