How to Grow Spinach

We know that spinach makes us strong. Anybody who is remotely familiar with the Popeye cartoons can tell you that spinach makes your muscles grow. Of course, most of us do not embrace spinach until we are older. For many of us this is because we were exposed only to the slimy canned spinach when we were kids. Maybe if we had been exposed to fresh spinach from the garden, we would have learned to love it earlier on. This article will explain how to grow spinach in your own garden. Once you know how to grow spinach you can have it whenever you want!

The first step in learning how to grow spinach, you will need to assemble the following materials: compost makers, pruners, fertilizer, fish emulsions, garden spades and trowels, floating row covers, mulch, shovels, limes, plants and spinach seeds.

The best place to learn how to grow spinach is a place that, in the cooler weather gets the full sun and in warmer weather is partially shaded. The soil itself should be fertile, retain moisture and it needs to be light. The pH balance should range from six to seven. Before planting, you will want to dig well cured manure into the soil to make sure that the soil's conditions are ready to sustain the spinach growth.

When you are ready to plant your spinach seeds (the next step in learning how to grow spinach), make sure that the seeds are placed directly into the soil as early in the year as you can work the ground. This is usually between four and eight weeks before the last frost is expected to hit. Spinach doesn't like to be transplanted and the seeds do very well in soil that is as cool as fifty degrees. The seeds should be placed in rows--about a half inch deep and two inches apart. To keep the seeds growing, sow the soil every two weeks until the average daily temperature is about seventy five degrees Fahrenheit.

When the plants get to be about four inches in height, thin them out to be about six inches apart. Don't worry about how the plants are faring. When the plants are too close together, they will end up seeding to soon and the plants that don't make the cut can still be used in salads. Learning to thin the "herd" is often the hardest part in learning how to grow spinach.

Finally, as you are learning how to grow spinach, you will want to cover the spinach plants to help the plants conserve moisture and to keep them safe from bugs and other threats.

The last step in learning how to grow spinach is learning how to harvest spinach. When the plants are ready to be harvested, cut the leaves as they are needed from the outside of the spinach plant. You can also harvest the entire plant when it is mature (but before it starts flowering). If you see flowers beginning to bud on the plant, cut the plant immediately. Now you know how to grow spinach!

Tracy Ballisager is stay at home mum. To read more about gardening tips and idea go to http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Ballisager

Types of spinach
A distinction can be made between older varieties of spinach and more modern varieties. Older varieties tend to bolt too early in warm conditions. Newer varieties tend to grow more rapidly but have less of an inclination to run up to seed. The older varieties have narrower leaves and tend to have a stronger and more bitter taste. Most newer varieties have broader leaves and round seeds.

There are three basic types of spinach:

Savoy has dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. It is the type sold in fresh bunches in most supermarkets. One heirloom variety of savoy is Bloomsdale, which is somewhat resistant to bolting.

Flat/smooth leaf spinach has broad smooth leaves that are easier to clean than savoy. This type is often grown for canned and frozen spinach, as well as soups, baby foods, and processed foods.

Semi-savoy is a hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but it is not as difficult to clean. It is grown for both fresh market and processing. Five Star is a widely grown variety and has good resistance to running up to seed.