Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

Spinach

Height: 4–6"

Width: 6–8"

Depth: 12 "

Annual
Wat e r : Light/even, drip irrigation
Sun : Full; partial shade in hot weather
Companion Planting :
pro: Beans, cabbage family, lettuce, onions, strawberries
con: Any tall plant, including Brussels sprouts, pole
beans, corn, rhubarb
Pests : Aphids, slugs, snails, cabbage loopers
Diseases : Curly top virus, spinach blight rust
Soil: Fine sandy soil, well drained
Fertilizer: Lots of compost; moderate nitrogen, phos­
phorus, potassium; fish emulsion every 1–2 weeks
pH: 6.0–6.8

Varieties : Olympia (for cool areas), Tyee (bolt resis­

tant), Space (semicurly leaves). See also New Zealand

spinach (page 192) for warm-weather planting.

Zones : 5–10

Planting : Early spring (4–6 weeks before last frost),

when soil is workable; seed ¼ inch deep, 2 inches apart;

thin to 4–6 inches to avoid bolting

Germinates : 6–14 days

Harvest: From seed, 40–60 days

Rotation: Don’t follow legumes

Edible: Leaves

SPINACH • 233