How to grow spinach in the garden in the Kuban, when to plant. How to plant spinach seeds - three proven ways Spinach cultivation in the middle lane

Spinach is frost hardy fast growing plant, a relative of beets and chard. Spinach can be planted in either spring or fall, or both spring and fall if you want to harvest twice a year. Spinach tastes great both raw and cooked, and is high in iron, calcium, antioxidants, and essential vitamins like A, B, and C. Read this step by step instructions, you will learn how to properly grow your own spinach crop.

Steps

Variety selection

Grow spinach in cool climates. Spinach is exceptionally hardy and thrives in cold to temperate climates. This plant, which prefers cool conditions, loves temperatures from 1 to 23 ° C.

Choose Savoyard and Semi-Savoy varieties for planting in the fall. The Savoy variety is characterized by dark green wrinkled leaves. This spinach is best planted in the fall because it becomes very brittle in cold weather.

Choose smooth-leaved spinach if you want a quick harvest. Smooth-leafed spinach grows taller, and its leaves are paler than those of Savoy spinach. It grows quickly and easily, making the perfect addition to any summer salad.

Site preparation for planting

1. Choose an area that receives full sun. Although spinach prefers mild climates and will not do well in very high temperatures, it still loves sunlight. Spinach will grow in the shade, but the crop will not be as impressive and the plant will not be as productive as if it were growing in the sun.

   Make sure the soil drains well. Spinach likes a mild and humid climate, but will do poorly in soils that are regularly flooded and not drained. If you can't find a suitable spot in your garden, you can make a raised bed or plant your spinach in a pot.

   • If you are making a raised bed, use cedar boards as the material if possible. Cedar wood does not rot when exposed to water.
   • Because spinach is a small plant that doesn't grow long roots, you won't need much space to grow it.

spinach care

Thin out plants. Once your spinach sprouts have grown into seedlings, thin them out a bit to prevent space competition between them. You should thin out the plants so that the leaves of neighboring plants are barely touching each other. It is necessary to achieve this spatial balance even if you have to uproot some of the plants.

Spinach has gained its popularity in our territory not so long ago. But since it has many vitamins and microelements, even summer residents became interested in growing it. The problem is that this plant is specific and requires certain conditions to get a good harvest. How grow spinach in the garden? We will find out the answer to this question from this article.

How to grow spinach: basic rules

First of all, let's understand that spinach is not just useful herb, and a storehouse of vitamin C, calcium, iodine, iron, sodium and B vitamins. It has a positive effect on the digestive system, improves its functioning and promotes recovery. But there are some restrictions, since spinach should not be consumed in diseases of the kidneys and liver.

Spinach is an annual plant. The optimum temperature for planting seeds is 18-20 degrees (approximately May). It is important that the earth is completely warmed up. Spinach has many different varieties. Which one to choose depends solely on personal preferences, but for growing on the most suitable are: "Giant", "Victoria", "Fatty", "Matador" and "Virofle".

For good growth and a rich harvest of spinach, it needs to create some conditions:

• The soil. The plant does not tolerate acidic soils, so it is best to use loamy soils. But if there is none, the situation can be corrected by mixing the soil with ash and lime. A prerequisite is looseness. It is very important that the earth is sufficiently loose. This will help young seed roots to take root quickly.
• Lighting. Spinach loves the sun and heat, so it is recommended to plant the plant on open areas. It is very important that there are no tall trees and bushes nearby that will create a shadow.
• Fertilizer. Before sowing, the land must be well fertilized. For this, both mineral and organic fertilizers can be used. It is best to saturate the soil with magnesium and phosphorus, which will contribute to the speedy growth of the plant and its fruitful flowering.

Spinach in the garden: how to plant?

Before planting, spinach seeds must be soaked in water for a while (approximately 1-2 days). This is done so that the seed hatches faster. Then they are slightly dried and sown in the ground. The seed falls into a pre-prepared hole to a shallow depth. The distance of plants from each other should not exceed 20 cm. After the hole, you need to fill it with earth and compact it tightly. Pour the seedlings with plenty of water and cover with burlap or polyethylene for a while (4-5 days). The first shoots will appear in 10 days.

To get fleshy and large spinach leaves, it needs to be thinned. This is an important step not to be missed. Densely germinated seedlings are freed from excess shoots and their horse system, otherwise the crop will be small and sluggish.

Densely germinated seedlings are freed from excess sprouts

Important! Spinach can overwinter in the soil, so for those who wish already in early spring to enjoy the juicy and nutritious leaves of the plant, you should sow the seeds in the soil in late autumn (October - November). Thus, the first shoots of spinach will appear with the advent of heat and sun.

When to harvest? No need to wait until the leaves become rough and form stems. It is better to eat a young and juicy plant, because it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. As the arrows appear, the spinach becomes unusable. Don't forget about the pests and diseases that often attack spinach. Therefore, for prevention, loosen the ground, do not allow close proximity to other plants and try not to overmoisten the soil.

It is better to eat a young and juicy plant

Unlike vegetables and berry crops, growing greens is not at all troublesome and enjoyable. And if you know how to plant spinach correctly, then its crop can be harvested almost all year round.

- the culture is resistant to cold and even recovers after small frosts, so it can be grown not only in summer. Spinach is also a rather early ripening green and appears one of the first on our table in May, and if it is planted with seedlings, then even earlier. In addition, spinach grows well next to most garden plantings, which means that there is a place for it in any area.

Spinach is cold tolerant and even recovers after a light frost.

A small overview of popular varieties:

1. Virofle - early ripening, from shoots to harvest takes up to 20 days. Bushes grow up to 30 cm in diameter, tender, greenish-yellow in color. The disadvantage is that it quickly expels the arrow.
2. Gaudri - the harvest can be harvested after 18 days and within a month. Suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground. Rosettes about 25 cm.
3. Krepysh is mid-season, the aging period is from 25 to 30 days. big harvest can be expected with regular watering, flower stelae are released late.
4. Giant - an early and very productive variety. Two weeks after germination, you can collect the first greens, and this despite the fact that the sockets of such spinach can grow from 15 to 50 cm. An ideal variety for thermal processing and canning.
5. Matador - perhaps the most common spinach variety, due to early ripening and abundant fatty leafy greens with excellent taste. It is planted both through seedlings and in open ground from spring to late autumn. Blooms late.

Spinach is best sown in sunny areas. Any soil is suitable, with the exception of only clay and increased level acidity. As for humidity, regular watering is necessary, it is on this that the yield of spinach beds often depends.

Now, having decided on the basic growing conditions, it is worth considering several ways: planting seedlings, sowing in open ground in early spring or before winter.

Video about properties and cultivation

Early greens will provide you with a seedling method of growing. To do this, in late March-early April, spinach seeds are sown in boxes, plastic or paper cups filled with prepared soil. The seeds are not deeply buried, it is enough to cover them with 1 cm of moist soil and compact it a little so that it is easier for the emerging roots to take root in the ground. After that, it is recommended to cover the containers with a transparent film or a piece of glass and put them in a warm place (for example, on a radiator) so that the “greenhouse” climate accelerates the germination of seedlings.

Early greens will provide you with a seedling method of growing

After the appearance of the first sprouts, the shelter is removed, and the seedlings are rearranged on the southern or southeastern window sill, providing maximum illumination. Given the tolerance of spinach to the cold, it can be grown on a loggia, balcony or veranda, which is especially convenient if all the windows are already occupied by growing peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Just remember to water the crops regularly.

Seedlings are planted in open ground when the soil warms up a little and the sun begins to warm. After transplanting and watering, you can put arcs on top and cover the bed with non-woven agrofiber in order to protect the transplanted plants from intense sunlight at first and somehow “smooth out” night and day air temperature fluctuations.

The best option for obtaining early greens is sowing spinach seeds in greenhouses. The timing of sowing in this case depends on several indicators, including:

• From the climatic features of your region, including the spring weather of the current year.
• From the quality and arrangement of the greenhouse. Obviously, in heated greenhouses, with artificial lighting You can grow vegetables all year round. On sunny spring days in glass greenhouses, the air warms up faster and keeps the temperature longer at night. Practically they are not inferior to them in these indicators and modern designs from polycarbonate. But a budget option film shelter will not retain heat well, especially if there are frequent frosts at night. In an effort to somewhat improve such designs, some gardeners use the densest film, and cover the roof of the greenhouse with two layers, thus creating an air gap for better conservation heat.
• From the varietal characteristics of seeds.

On sunny spring days in glass greenhouses, the air warms up faster and keeps the temperature longer at night

Usually, work in greenhouses begins if the air in it warms up enough during the daytime. These conditions are quite suitable for the germination of spinach. In addition, it is recommended to generously water the hole before sowing. hot water, wait until it is completely absorbed, sow the seeds and cover with a 1.5-2 cm layer of soil. From above, the rows are covered with a piece of agrofibre, which will help to maintain both heat and the required level of humidity. After the appearance of the first shoots, the shelter is removed. Similarly, work is carried out in open ground.

In early spring, in the garden, at the same time as planting radishes, lettuce and onions on greens, spinach seeds are also sown. In this growing method, the main condition successful harvest is to provide moisture. Therefore, even during sowing, the grooves or holes are pre-watered, especially if the soil is dry. This will help to soften the fairly dense shell of the seed faster, and subsequently provide the emerging plants with moisture. Once spinach is established, it needs frequent watering, especially on warm and sunny days.

Spinach usually sprouts together and at the same time, so if you want to extend its harvest period, sow it gradually, at intervals of 7-10 days. So you will have young greens for a long time. If you need to save space on the plot, spinach can be sown as a thickener, for example, between beans, tomatoes, dill, radishes or carrots. Thus, by the time the main crops have grown, you will have already harvested spinach.

Video about growing spinach, lettuce and basil

autumn sowing

Experienced gardeners know how many worries spring brings, so they try to do some work from the fall. So, many cold-resistant crops can be sown under winter, for example, carrots, garlic, radishes, sorrel and, of course, spinach. The advantages of such plantings are obvious: there is enough time in the fall, there is a lot of free space on the site, and most importantly, the soil is saturated with moisture both during sowing and during spring growth.

Many people worry that green shoots that have risen may die in winter, but fears are in vain - as soon as the snow melts and the April sun warms in the spring, spinach plantings will quickly recover and delight you with the first greenery from your own garden.

Spinach is a garden plant, in which only young leaves are eaten. They are eaten raw in salads, stewed and canned. Spinach can be grown not only on outdoors but also indoors, on windowsills. However, there is no seasonality. The plant can give green leaves to the table all year round. Naturally, with insufficient illumination in winter, the culture requires additional illumination with fluorescent lamps.

Spinach on the windowsill. How to grow. A photo

Spinach grows well and yields juicy leaves at a temperature of fifteen to eighteen degrees. Additionally, you need to support high air humidity and actively water. The plant is resistant to short-term cooling. It tolerates temperature drops up to eight degrees Celsius. This allows in the spring and autumn period grow it on glazed verandas and balconies that are not heated.

Preparing the substrate and planting spinach

When thinking about how to grow spinach on a windowsill, they first prepare earth mixture. For her, take two parts of coconut fiber and one part of biohumus. This substrate is characterized by lightness, moisture capacity and high nutritional value.

A layer is placed on the bottom of the container. drainage and then backfill with soil. Drainage is necessary, because. with abundant watering, which loves spinach, the water should not stagnate.

Spinach cultivation on the windowsill begins with seed preparation. They need to be filled warm water and leave overnight. During this time, the seeds will swell and germinate faster later. morning water with planting material drained. It is transferred to a pink solution potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Growing spinach on a windowsill. A photo

potting soil carefully moisturize before boarding. Seeds are planted at a depth of one to one and a half centimeters. Until shoots appear, the container is covered with polyethylene. Seeds hatch on the fifth - seventh day.

Features of spinach growth on the windowsill

For planting spinach on the windowsill, large containers are immediately used, from which transplantation is no longer performed, or small ones with subsequent picking of plants. pick performed approximately two weeks after the day of sowing the seeds. By this time, two, and sometimes four, true leaves appear on the plants.

Spinach from seeds on the windowsill. A photo

Tanks for permanent cultivation of spinach are chosen quite spacious. These can be containers, the depth of which is not less than fifteen centimeters. If they are used flower pots, then you need to take containers of at least one liter and no more than two. it optimal dimensions containers for growing spinach.

The first greens suitable for cutting appear three or four weeks after sowing. For a month or two, spinach produces a crop, and then it produces a peduncle and its leaves become unusable.

Watering, lighting, fertilizing and harvesting

When growing spinach on a windowsill, keep in mind that it is moisture-loving. His watered often and abundantly. Be sure to splash bush from a spray bottle to increase the humidity of the air. Low humidity of air and soil leads to the fact that the bush quickly begins to throw out flower stalks, which means that the greens on it coarsen and can no longer be used for food.

To grow spinach on a windowsill to be successful, it must be placed in bright place. Windows facing south and close to it are best suited. But there is enough light on them only in the spring and summer periods. If you get spinach on the windowsill in winter or autumn, then the light will not be enough. Short daylight hours, cloudy weather - all this leads to the fact that spinach grows poorly. To collect good harvest vitamin leaves and in the autumn-winter season, additional lighting of plants with fluorescent lamps will be required. Turning them on in the evening increases daylight hours by two or three hours.

Spinach is an annual plant, so its vegetation is quickly completed. After the first greens that are suitable for cutting appear, the bush will actively grow leaves for about two more months. After several harvests, i.e. pruning, he releases a peduncle. That is why it is recommended to sow new batches of plants every two months. This will allow you to get fresh greens continuously.

If the soil is nutritious, then the plant does not need to be fertilized additionally. If spinach is grown in garden soil, then it is better to feed it at the beginning of the growing season. For this use liquid fertilizers.

What to do: Frequently Asked Questions

The spinach has risen well, but the sprouts are stretching upwards. They do not give the first sheet, which should already appear.

Pulling out the sprouts indicates that insufficient lighting. Perhaps the window is directed to the north or east, the weather is too often overcast, the day is not yet long enough. In any case, you will need a fluorescent lamp so that the spinach grows normally and is thick enough.

What if the plant is growing very slowly? Its leaves are small and weak, so it is not possible to harvest a sufficient crop.

These signs speak of soil poverty. It is required to add a fertile substrate or use special fertilizers.

Benefits of spinach for women

Spinach is not known to many and is not popular. But this plant has many useful properties. After reviewing them, many women will be interested in how to grow spinach on the windowsill.

Spinach is rich in useful substances. They help improve health. But this one is especially helpful. leaf vegetable for those who want to lose weight. It's no secret that it is women who are more concerned about the problem. excess weight. In this case, the introduction of spinach into the diet will help get rid of a few pounds. This is provided by several properties of the product.

1. Spinach leaves contain a lot of fiber, which collects toxins in the body and removes them. Due to this, the work of the digestive tract is normalized, which leads to weight loss.
2. Low calorie content makes the product ideal for those who want to lose weight.
3. A mild laxative effect leads to a cleansing of the body.
4. Spinach helps improve muscle relief. It contains substances that emphasize muscles, in addition, there are components that accelerate the recovery of muscle tissue.

All these properties are useful not only for women, but also for men. Spinach perfect option for people who care about their figure.

Spinach varieties that are popular

Spinach has many varieties that differ in their characteristics. They have different requirements for care, size and color of the leaves. Plants are bred taking into account the climatic features of a particular region. There are several varieties of spinach that are particularly popular.

. strawberry spinach

Another name for it is berry spinach. It differs from all other varieties in that not only leaves, but also fruits are eaten. This variety does not have any special care requirements. AT temperate climate most often planted representatives of the Strawberry Sticks variety. These plants have a slight strawberry scent. The fruits are sweetish, but have a bland shade. The growth rate of berry spinach is significant, so the leaves are eaten exclusively in early spring. Later, the plant will give flower stalks and the leaves will already be tasteless. The fruits ripen much later. This time is in July and August.

. Variety Gigantic

Plants form a rosette of leaves. Its dimensions are medium. A rosette of leaves with a light green tint is made up. Fresh leaves can be used as complementary foods for infants. They are crushed into a homogeneous gruel and added to baby food. Spinach leaves of this variety are well suited for canning. Harvesting is carried out about a month after the first shoots appear. To collect leaves from a plant of this variety, the entire outlet is simply cut off. Cut it off under the first sheet, i.e. fully.

. Variety Victoria

This variety of spinach belongs to the group of late-ripening. The plant forms a small rosette that is pressed to the ground. Victoria spinach leaves are round in shape. They are plastic, noticeable pimples are located on the surface. The ripening period occurs in the range of twenty to forty days after emergence. The plant is quite light in weight. It does not exceed thirty grams.

. Variety Matador

Spinach variety Matador is a hybrid. Like most hybrid plants, it gives a high yield, is resistant to unfavorable factors. Spinach leaves of this variety are smooth, oval in shape. They somewhat resemble sorrel, but are more juicy. The rosette has gray-green leaves. This variety of spinach is resistant to short-term drops in temperature below zero. If the outlet has had time to fully form, then the spinach can overwinter under a layer of snow. Plants of this variety are the most late-ripening. The rosette is formed up to forty-seven days after germination.

. Grade Fat-leaved

The duration of the formation of a rosette suitable for collection is from thirty to forty days. Spinach of this variety is distinguished by smooth leaves that have a slight relief. The rosette of the plant is quite compact. Its diameter is from seventeen to thirty centimeters.

This is only a small fraction of spinach varieties that have been bred in recent times. All of them have special characteristics. A variety of growing features, ripening periods, taste and other characteristics, allows you to choose the most optimal variety for each specific case.

How to grow spinach on a windowsill. Video

How to grow spinach in the garden? A previously little-known plant is increasingly appearing in our beds. How to plant it and take care of it in the future in order to get a good harvest, we will try to describe below.

Spinach appeared in the gardens of Russians relatively recently, but quickly gained one of the leading positions due to its valuable qualities and ease of cultivation. Growing spinach at home will provide you and your loved ones with an almost complete daily set. important elements. It is consumed both fresh and in the form of mashed potatoes, sauces, canned or frozen.

Growing spinach at home will provide you and your loved ones with an almost complete daily set of important elements.

Spinach is good for diseases of the heart and gastrointestinal tract, anemia, hypertension, and edema. Recommended for nervous disorders. Restrictions are imposed only with its large use in childhood and in kidney and liver disease.

To all of these positive qualities short growing periods, frost resistance, unpretentiousness, and also the opportunity to grow it at home are added.

Video story about useful properties

Agrotechnics when growing spinach is quite simple. You need to know some features and the harvest can delight you with its abundance for almost the entire garden season.

Spinach grows well both outdoors and indoors. In a closed one, of course, you will get useful leaves earlier, but you can do without a greenhouse.

First you need to determine the site with which soil to choose for spinach in your country house. The plant loves fertile, well-fertilized soil, loamy or sandy loamy. Acidity plays an important role, since on acidic soils you may not wait for the harvest. If the soil is very acidic, then limestone can be added to even out the acidity.

Spinach grows well both outdoors and indoors.

It is advisable to dig the bed in the fall and apply potash, phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen - you need to partially apply, the remainder is applied in the spring before planting the first seeds.

Most often, you can grow a storehouse of vitamins by seeds. If you want to have fresh greens from under the snow at home, then you can sow the seeds at the end of August. By October, the plant will already be strong and enter the winter. And with the first rays of the spring sun, you will have nutritious leaves on your table.

The growing season is 40 to 55 days, depending on the growing time at home. Therefore, it is better to plant the first seeds in April. Seed germination occurs already at 4 degrees Celsius, and adult spinach will withstand frosts up to 6 degrees.

The optimum temperature is 15 degrees. The next sowing can be done in 1-1.5 months and so on throughout the season in the country. Thus, you will provide yourself with vitamins for the whole summer.

Video about growing spinach

Seeds before planting at home need to be prepared. Since they do not absorb moisture well, they should be in the liquid for two days. The water temperature is 25 degrees. After that, the seeds are dried so that they become free-flowing as before. Prepared seeds are sown in grooves 2-3 cm deep, sprinkled and compacted with soil from above. Distance between rows 25-30 cm.

In the garden, it consists in timely weeding, watering and thinning. After seed germination and the appearance of small plants, the bushes must be thinned out, leaving 8-10 cm between them.

Also, frequent watering will accelerate the growth of nutritious foliage. The roots of the crops are very large (about 25 cm), which means they need to be watered abundantly (about 10 liters per 1 sq. M.) And often, especially on hot days. Failure to comply with these rules will lead to shooting plants.

Spinach care in the garden consists of timely weeding, watering and thinning

Fertilization under growing bushes is undesirable, therefore it is better to introduce all useful elements at the stage of soil preparation. It is permissible to feed the seedlings with nitrogen in case of emergency. And top dressing with fresh manure is generally contraindicated, because of the ability of spinach to absorb nitrates.

Further agricultural technology in the country is to loosen the row spacing and remove new shoots that thicken the crops. Male spinach is also unproductive and therefore needs to be removed.

If, nevertheless, the plants begin to give arrows, they need to be broken off, otherwise the leaves will become stiff and unsuitable for food.

When forming 6-8 leaves, rosettes can be collected. Do not wait for the stems to appear, the leaves will be rough and tough. You can completely pull out the bushes, you can cut. Cut leaves are stored for 7 days. They are then canned, eaten fresh or frozen.

The story of the care of the plant

If you do not have the opportunity to grow a valuable plant in the country, then you can grow it at home. To do this, prepare a soil mixture that is close to the composition in the garden, fill the boxes with it and sow the seeds. possible in January.

Seeds are prepared as for planting in open ground, soaking. Otherwise, the planting is the same as in the garden, only the crops from above need to be covered with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect.

For greater access of oxygen to the roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil

After 10 days, the first shoots should hatch. The film or glass must be removed. And water the plants. As in the country, in the beds, the bushes need abundant watering and a humid environment. Spraying the leaves will create a favorable environment. There is an experience of hanging boxes with seedlings over the windowsill, so the earth dries less from heating devices, and the plants feel better.

For greater access of oxygen to the roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil. Thanks to this, more vitamins will accumulate.

Plants can be cut after about 50 days. Only unlike the garden type, at home you do not need to cut off all the leaves. It is enough to remove less than half of the leaves from each bush. Then after a while he will delight you with new juicy leaves.

Video clip about growing on the windowsill

And yet, at home, spinach can be grown not as an annual, but as a biennial plant. To do this, you must follow the rules of care and be sure to remove all arrows.

This is how easy it is to grow such a valuable product both in the garden and at home. Caring for spinach will give you a lot of pleasure and give health to your family.