Spinach |
Spinach leaves are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron and magnesium Growing spinach is not very difficult, and the plants grow very quickly. Care for the soil by keeping it free of weeds and stirring the surface frequently. This will encourage your spinach to grow rapidly. The soil should be worked deeply. Adding manure will help the soil retain moisture as well as supply the spinach plants with food. You can supplement the manure with sodium nitrate.
You should sow summer spinach seeds at the end of February. The seeds should be placed in a sunny area, in soil that is warm and sheltered. Every two or three weeks after the first sowing, from the beginning of March to the beginning of July, you can sow more seeds. Frequent sowings are necessary because spinach is likely to go to seed, especially if the weather is hot and dry. As the weather becomes warmer, sow seeds when it is cool and moist. Soaking spinach seeds in water for 24 hours before soaking will cause them to germinate faster and more evenly, and to grow more strongly. If you are not using your spinach as a catch crop, sow the seeds in holes that are 1 foot apart and 1 inch deep. Once the seedlings are growing well, thin them so that they are between 6 and 8 inches apart. It is important to work the soil deeply when the weather is hot, to add mulches and to water the plants frequently. You can sow winter spinach three times, from the beginning of August to mid-September, in intervals that are two weeks apart. Prepare the soil for winter spinach by deeply digging it, then giving it a generous supply of decayed manure. Lay the soil up in raised beds that are from 5 feet to 6 feet wide. This will allow rainwater to pass through quickly. Spinach does not grow as vigorously in the winter as it does in the summer, so you can place the plants closer together in the winter. You can place the rows from 4 inches to 9 inches apart in the winter. If you want to be able to pick spinach throughout the winter, be sure to protect some of the crop. You can use shallow box-frames, or make wind-proof fences out of straw and short stakes. Straw mats can be used to protect the spinach from frost or snow. When picking spinach leaves, only pick the largest leaves. Pick the leaves one at a time, so you do not harm the plants.
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Summer spinach can be gathered only a few weeks before the seeds are sown. This means that it can be used as a catch crop and grown in spaces between rows of other vegetables. The spinach will be cleared away before it affects the growth of the other vegetables.