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How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Spinach

One of my early spring and fall vegetable garden favorites is spinach. It’s luscious green leaves are so full of calcium and vitamin C that it makes oranges look… well, weak. In fact, you can get 34% of your daily value of Vitamin C in just one serving of spinach. And with all that goodness going on, why wouldn’t you grow spinach in your spring or fall garden this year? I’ve got all the details on how to plant, grow, and harvest spinach in your backyard garden!

When to plant spinach

Spinach is a plant that typically enjoys the cooler temperatures. That means the early spring and fall are the best times to add it to your home garden. This can be in a garden bed or a container, whatever kind of garden you happen to be using.

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There are some varieties of spinach that can tolerate higher temps, such as Malabar Spinach, which actually grows as a vine. And you can always opt to grow spinach in partial shade during warm months to get more longevity out of the growing season. (See my full list of Shade Loving Vegetables!)

Plant spinach in the spring as soon as the ground is workable and up to six weeks before the last frost. A light frost may even improve the taste of young spinach leaves! In the fall, plant your spinach 6-8 weeks before the first “scheduled” frost. (We all know that weather certainly doesn’t work on a tight schedule!)

Where to grow spinach

  • Location: Spinach does best in full to part sun, so there’s flexibility in where you place your spinach in the garden or where your containers are.
  • Soil PH: Spinach prefers a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. If you’ve never had your soil tested, it’s something I highly recommend and is usually a free service provided by your local Cooperative Extension office. (Read my full post on Improving Garden Soil.)
  • Soil Type: While spinach isn’t going to be a heavy feeder like tomatoes, they also don’t like depleted soil. Add in some fresh compost to the soil in advance of planting your spinach to give them the nutrients that they need.

Planting Spinach Seeds

I highly recommend planting spinach from seeds. Not only will you get more bang for your buck, but you’ll have a much larger variety of seeds to choose from. And since planting spinach seeds is so easy, the success rate is relatively high. Here’s what you’ll need to do to plant spinach seeds:

  • Choose seeds based on desired size and flavor
  • Amend soil based on recommendations above, adding compost if needed.
  • (Optional: Soak spinach seeds the night before planting. This can help speed up the time it takes for them to sprout.)
  • Plant spinach seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep in soil and loosely cover with soil.
  • Space out seeds every 3 inches.
  • Water lightly and keep soil moist (not soaking wet) until sprouts begin to break through.
  • Spinach seeds will germinate in about a week, but this could take longer if the temps are below 70 degrees.

Caring for spinach

Spinach is a relatively low maintenance plant, which is why I love to grow it! Here are some tips for caring for spinach plants:

  • Thin spinach seedlings if they are closer than 2 inches. You want the plants to have room to grow.
  • Use a good organic fertilizer (I prefer Espoma brand) if you notice your plants aren’t growing or if you noticed on your soil report that your soil was lacking in nitrogen.
  • Keep plants watered regularly, without overdoing it.
  • Mulch around plants to help retain moisture and to keep weeds at bay.
  • Pinch off any yellowed or dying leaves.
  • Use your spinach! This is the best way to keep your plant growing and producing.

How to Harvest Fresh Spinach

I have to say there are so many uses for fresh spinach! We personally love spinach’s mild flavor in smoothies and soups, but it’s also a delicious side dish simply steamed with fresh garlic. And since harvesting spinach from the home garden is quick and easy, this nutritious green can go from garden to table in just 20 minutes.

To harvest spinach, use your fingers or some small snips and harvest the larger, outer leaves of the spinach plant. As spinach leaves get larger, they can also get tougher, so by taking these off, you’re allowing the smaller leaves a chance to grow, and you’re avoiding mega large leaves that may lack in flavor.

Once leaves are harvested, be sure to give them a good washing. This can involve filling a bowl with water and soaking the leaves for several minutes while swirling them around. Soil can easily get stuck to the undersides of spinach leaves and nobody wants extra grit in their salad or smoothie, am I right?

Popular Varieties of Spinach for the Garden

Whether you’re growing in a row garden, raised bed, or container, these popular spinach varieties may just turn out to be your new favorite! All of these seed recommendations come from True Leaf Market, who offers a full line of Heirloom, Non-GMO & Organic seeds of all types and has been since 1974! I have loved all of the products I’ve purchased from them!

  • Giant Noble Spinach: Who says bigger isn’t better? This heirloom variety of spinach has large, delicious leaves that can spread up to 25 inches! The kids will love this variety.
  • Bloomsdale Long-Standing Spinach: This is my personal favorite, and it grows consistently each and every year. Love this spinach!
  • Viroflay Spinach- This french variety also has large leaves and is great for the fall garden. The leaves also won’t get bitter if left on the plant too long.
  • Avon Hybrid Spinach– A fast growing very bolt tolerant savoy spinach variety best grown in spring. Long leaves and upright growth make this a good plant for harvesting young leaves.

Delicious Spinach Recipes

Now that you’ve grown all that spinach, how are you going to use it? Here are some great suggestions for recipes that use spinach.

I’d love to know if you’ve tried another spinach variety that you’ve enjoyed or if you have any other tips on growing spinach at home! Have a great week and happy gardening!

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What to Plant in October

October is a favorite month for many people, including gardeners. As the weather turns cooler, it’s time to head back out to the garden and start planting the fall garden. And while some may think a fall vegetable garden is limited to greens, you’d be wrong! There are many things to plant in the fall, particularly October that will reap many benefits come next spring. 

What to Plant in the Garden this October

Several flower and food plants can be planted in October so the garden season can be extended until winter. And since it’s so much cooler outside, it’s a pleasant time of year to garden! Depending on plant choices and your zone, you can even extend the garden season throughout the winter. Select some of these fall-favorite plants and keep your garden growing!

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Fall Flower Bulbs and Food Bulbs

Flower bulbs that bloom in winter or spring should be planted in October, so they can go through their required cold spell. Planting flower bulbs doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, check out my article on 8 Tips for Planting Bulbs this Fall to get some helpful tips and advice. 

Specifically, what kind of bulbs do well to be planted in October? If you’re in an area with cold or cool winters, Snowdrops are beautiful winter blooming flowers. The bulbs need to be planted in October, but snowdrops will not tolerate warm or mild winters, so those in zones 8b and up will be out of luck. But not to worry, Hyacinths, tulips, peonies, and daffodils all bloom in spring and the bulbs should be planted in fall. So, take your pick, and arrange your bulbs to your liking. Come the spring, you’ll have beds full of color!

Garlic is another bulb that needs to go into the ground before the first frost. This is due to the long growing season that garlic requires. But it’s also an incredibly easy crop to grow, since pests are deterred by the strong smell! Find out How to Grow Garlic in my full post. 

Fall and Winter Garden Cover Crop

When nothing is growing in the garden, soil becomes compacted and can erode. Planting a winter cover crop in October will protect soil and add nutrients, so the soil will be fertile and ready for spring planting. 

Kale, collard, rutabaga, or turnips are some good options for what to plant in October as cover crops. Sow seeds thickly so you can harvest some of the green to eat. Come spring, gardeners can cut the cover crop and turn it back into the soil. Cover crops are also a great option if you’d like to take the fall and winter “off” of gardening. You can still harvest some for your crop, but you’re really working to replenish the soil for spring. Here’s last year’s collard cover crop growing in one of our raised beds. 

winter cover crop of collard greens

Cool Season Vegetables

Several vegetables grow better in the cool fall weather and will produce a harvest before winter. Plant vegetables in October that mature quickly, like radishes, carrots (some varieties), kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage. (And if those pesky cabbage moths/butterflies give you trouble, check out my article on Getting Rid of Cabbage Worms.)

Radishes and carrots are root vegetables that help to loosen the garden soil, so even if you don’t like to eat them, it helps prevent soil compaction if you plant them. The root vegetables can always be fed to the chickens or added to the compost pile.

Plant Blueberry Bushes in Fall

A blueberry bush needs to go through a cold period after planting so it will have time to establish a strong root system before it has to produce berries in the spring. Plant blueberry bushes in a sunny location in October for an abundant harvest in spring. The exception to this may be if you’re planning to plant blueberries in containers. If planting in containers, just be very aware of your zone and if it will be too cold for a blueberry bush that isn’t in the ground. 

Transplant Flowers in the Fall

Keep color in the landscape all winter by planting some winter-blooming flowers in October. Plant pansies, hellebores, and winter jasmine this month for winter blooms. 

Also, divide and transplant hosta and other flowering plants that have outgrown their space in October so their root system can adjust to their new home before spring growing season. This is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. It’s like getting plants for free, right? 

blue and green hosta plants in a shady bed

Sow Grass Seed

Grass seeds germinate better if they go through a cold period. Over-seed old lawns and start new ones from seed in October for a beautiful lawn next year. The fall/winter is also a great time to do any weed prevention on your lawn. This was something that was discussed by our turf instructor in my Master Gardener class. His advice was using a product of your choosing (try Gardens Alive for a natural option) in the fall to get your yard ready for spring and to significantly reduce weeds that will try to pop up. 

So, despite your zone, there are plenty of October garden chores to tackle, and you have the benefit of cooler temps, hopefully! October 1st is tomorrow, and it was 94 degrees today. That is unusually warm, so I’m definitely ready to get my garlic in the ground and get lots of salad greens planted in my beds. 

Have a great week, and please let me know below what other Fall garden chores you take care of in October!

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Helps and Tips for your fall vegetable garden!

Getting Rid of Cabbage Worms

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Easy Fall Garden Planning

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What to Plant in September

Cooler weather does not necessarily signal the end of garden, it can signal the beginning of a new crop of fresh vegetables. Knowing what to plant in September in the vegetable garden can provide you with fresh food for several more weeks. And as a disclaimer, all gardeners live in different zones, so please consider where you live when planning what to grow in September. If fall gardening isn’t something you can usually do because of early winter setting in, then perhaps use this list in August. 

Plan Out Your Fall Growing Season

If you’re ready for the fresh taste of greens and other cooler weather crops, then you probably love the onset of fall. Late September officially ushers in the fall season, but before it gets here, be sure to plan out what you’ll grow. This means checking your seed inventory, ordering new seeds if needed, and deciding what your family will actually eat.

For more help planning out your garden, check out my Complete Garden Planner or my Fall Garden Square Foot Garden plans. They can both help you to get a jump start on fall garden planning! Get your garden cleared off and soil amended with compost, then plant some of these vegetables when September arrives. affiliate link policy

September vegetable gardening

Before dropping seeds or plants in the soil, always consider this…

Frost Date

To determine exactly what you can plant in September, count backwards from the last predicted frost date for your area. That will let you know how many days you will have for growing a fall vegetable crop. You can find this info in the Farmer’s Almanac, or check it out online at https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates#states-and-provinces. 

Seed packs will have maturity dates for the vegetables printed on them. Select crops that have a short maturity date, like 45-60 days, for best results. Most of the plants you grow in an early spring garden can be planted in September too. So be sure to think back on what grew well in those cooler days of March and early April. 

Fall Garden Salad Greens

Many greens can be planted in September and harvested before the first frost in fall. Some of these greens varieties are hardier and can withstand a frost or two (and the flavor may actually improve). These greens include:

Many of these greens can be eaten raw in salads or cooked and used as a side dish. Check out my recipe for Balsamic Bacon Collard Greens; they’re a family favorite!

cabbage fall

Root Crops

Smaller root crops reach maturity quickly and grow best in cooler weather. These include:

All of these make great additions to a green salad, plus the carrots, turnips and beets can be preserved through freezing or canning.

Roots crop also help to improve garden soil by preventing compaction. Breaking up your soil now with root vegetables can give you a leg up for your spring garden as well. 

Cruciferous Vegetable Family

If you have access to transplants of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, September is an ideal time to plant them. The transplants will grow rapidly in the cooler fall weather, so you can enjoy fresh cruciferous vegetables for Thanksgiving dinner if you live in a climate with a mild winter. Be sure to watch out for cabbage moths, since the cooler temps usually do not deter them. Find some creative and organic ways for dealing with cabbage moths here. how to get rid of cabbage moths

Winter Cover Crops

September is a good month to plant a winter cover crop that will improve garden soil. Collards, turnips, legumes, rye grass, or clover planted in late summer and left to over-winter in the garden will prevent soil erosion and compaction during the winter.

In early spring, plow the green plants into the soil if you’re using a row garden, or cut and turn them into the soil if using raised beds. They will quickly decompose and increase soil fertility. This is an eco-friendly, organic form of plant fertilizer that is effective and inexpensive.

Fall Garden Tip

Any leftover spring garden seeds you have on hand can be planted in September and grown as a winter cover crop. Just sow the seeds and let the plants alone until early next spring. Garden soil amending doesn’t get any easier than this. So take the break in heat that September (hopefully) gives you and produce some delicious fall crops. Or if you know your fall will be busy with no time for gardening, plant those cover crops and just let them go!

I’d love to know what you enjoy planting in September. Comment below and let us know! Happy Gardening!

Fall Garden Helps

Get help planning, planting, and harvesting your fall vegetable garden!

Easy Fall Garden Planning

8 Tips for Planting Bulbs in the Fall

How to Grow Garlic

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How to Grow Garlic

Garlic is incredibly easy to grow in the home garden, and it acts as natural insect repellent and flavor enhancer for several garden vegetables. I call it one of my set-it-and-forget-it crops, since that’s basically what you do. Knowing how to grow garlic involves a lot of waiting, but it’s totally worth it! 

garlic growing in a raised bed garden

What are Garlic Seeds?

Garlic seeds are the cloves on the outside of the bulb. For growing garlic at home, always buy seed garlic from a reputable seed company. I personally love to get my garlic from Southern Exposure Seed Company. Many of these seed companies won’t have the garlic ready to ship until early fall, so be prepared. As a side note, do not separate the garlic cloves until it’s time to plant.

Hard Neck vs. Soft Neck

Garlic varieties come in hard neck and soft neck. Typically, soft neck varieties have better flavor, but are more difficult to store in warmer climates. You can also cut off the tall green growth on soft neck varieties, know as garlic scapes, and use them in cooking. I grow hard neck garlic since I live in the southeast, and this gives me a longer shelf life for my harvested garlic. Here’s a good video from Burpee all about the differences between hard and soft neck, so you can choose the variety that works best for you location. 

burpee video screen shot

When To Plant Garlic

Fall is the choice garlic planting time in most climates. This gives the cloves time to produce a root system before winter and will help produce larger garlic bulbs the following spring.

Spring planted garlic will produce a nice crop, but the bulbs will be small. I’ve always chosen to plant in the fall because the weeds are less pesky in the fall and winter, and you want to be sure weeds aren’t crowding out your garlic crop. 

Where To Plant

Garlic is not attacked by garden pests and will help keep nearby plants from being attacked too. Use garlic as a companion plant for vegetables and flowers that are prone to garden pest attacks.

Tomato plants, potatoes, beets, carrots, eggplant, and roses benefit by having garlic planted nearby. The garlic will enhance vegetable flavor, will not change the fragrance of roses, and will keep away garden pests. I grew my garlic last year in our front flower bed, near roses. I also didn’t have an issue with Japanese beetles on my roses. Garlic can be a strong deterrent for many types of pests. Deer and rabbit are also repelled by growing garlic.

How To Plant Garlic

Garlic grows best in well-drained, crumbly soil that is exposed to full sun. Till soil to the depth of 10 inches and mix in 2-4 inches of compost, or plant in your raised beds that require no tilling.

Snap off the outside cloves from the garlic bulb and gently push them down 2 inches deep into the prepared soil. Make sure the pointy end is facing upward. Water thoroughly. 

Plant the cloves 3-5 inches apart.

Cover cloves with several inches of lightweight mulch, like straw. The garlic shoots will find their way up through the lightweight mulch.

Weed, Feed and Water

If weeds try to creep in, pull the weeds up by hand, being careful to not disturb the below-ground developing bulbs.

Compost will provide instant food for the garlic and the decomposing mulch on top will provide nutrients to the soil during the entire growing season. No other food will be needed for the growing garlic. When I say garlic is low-maintenance, I really mean it. 

Keep the garden soil moist during the growing season and stop watering when the green above-ground shoots turn brown. The brown shoots indicate that the garlic is almost ready to harvest and withholding water helps the garlic bulbs form their paper-like outer coverings.

How To Harvest Garlic

When two-thirds of the plant tops have dried and turned brown, it’s harvest time. Insert a shovel  under the garlic bulb to remove it from the garden soil. Be very careful that you don’t damage the bulb with the tip of the spade or trowel. Don’t try to pull it up by the top since this could break the top of the bulb off, making it more difficult to remove. 

Use freshly harvested garlic bulbs immediately or allow to cure and dry for future use. To dry, spread bulbs out in a single layer or string them together and place in a warm location out of direct sunlight and dry. I usually have a fan blowing on them as well to ensure good ventilation. You’ll feel the papery skins are dry when they crinkle slightly at your touch. The drying process usually takes 4-6 weeks, but is totally worth it. 

 

 

The taste of fresh garlic grown in your own garden is so much better than the store bought varieties. There’s a “crunch” to fresh garlic cloves that older stored bulbs won’t have. You’ll notice the difference!

Feel free to comment below if you have any tips for growing garlic in the home garden!

Other Gardening Info to Enjoy:

Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

How to Care for Azaleas

How to Grow Potatoes at Home

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