When to Plant Strawberry Spinach in the South

Spring and Fall Planting

• Strawberry spinach, also commonly called strawberry blite and blite goosefoot, is a frost-tender annual. When growing in the wild, strawberry spinach dies back in the fall and grows from self-sown seeds in the spring. Northern gardeners are limited to spring and summer for growing strawberry spinach, but the Southern gardener can plant this ornamental and vegetable in spring and fall. As long as winters are frost-free, this spinach relative grows year-round. Plant this cool-season crop early in the spring summer's heat arrives.

Planting Strawberry Spinach

• Plant strawberry spinach seeds in a prepared garden bed in full sun or part shade. Amend heavy clay or sandy soil with organic matter when necessary. Spread a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or seasoned manure over the garden bed and dig it into the top 8 to 12 inches of the soil. Rake the area flat before seeding. Space strawberry spinach seeds 1 inch apart. Cover each seed with 1/8 inch of soil.

Care and Development

• Strawberry spinach seeds germinate when the soil temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds germinate quickly, usually within three to four days. Once the seeds germinate, strawberry spinach requires 40 to 60 days until harvest. Strawberry spinach grows best during cool weather. Planted early in spring in the South, the pants have time to mature before the heat of summer sets in.

Harvesting Strawberry Spinach

• Keep the seeds damp if the spring or fall weather remains dry. Once the seedlings grow 2 inches tall, thin them to a spacing of 4 to 6 inches. Strawberry spinach grows 18 inches tall in an erect growth pattern. Harvest the new, green shoots as they emerge, or wait until the plants mature and then harvest the tender green leaves. After harvesting the fruit, remove the plants from the soil, as they no longer produce.