How to Grow & Store Spinach

Spinach has gotten a bad rap, mainly because children often do not care for the taste and texture of this nutritious leafy green vegetable. But it is full of vitamins A and K and also contains healthful amounts of minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium. Spinach is easy to grow, especially in the cooler weather of spring and fall, and in climate zones with mild winters it's a successful winter crop. Use it raw in salads or cooked in stir-fry and other dishes.

Compost
Shovel
Rake
Hoe
Fish emulsion
Insecticidal soap
Spray bottle
Iron phosphate
Salad spinner
Plastic zipper bag(s)

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a planting area in early spring or late summer where the soil is sandy and your spinach will receive full sun. Add organic compost to the planting area at a ratio of one part compost for each four parts of soil and mix well to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Rake the surface level after you amend the soil.
- 2
  Make shallow furrows with your hoe, about ½ inch deep in rows 12 inches apart. Scatter seeds into the furrows and then cover with ½ inch of your soil-compost mixture.
- 3
  Water by running a garden sprinkler over the rows for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the spinach's life.
- 4
  Thin seedlings to about 4 inches apart when they grow to 1 to 2 inches in height. Favor the largest plants and use the others in salads or other recipes.
- 5
  Feed your spinach one month after you plant it, using a balanced fertilizer or organic options such as fish emulsion, following package instructions. Repeat this feeding once a month until the plants begin to send up flower stalks.
- 6
  Store spinach by snipping outer leaves from the plant and washing them in cool water. Then spin dry or pat with a towel. Place the leaves in a plastic zipper bag and keep it in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator. Use promptly for the best taste and freshness.

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