Are you crazy about spinach? Do you know how to grow spinach? You could be yields your own spinach tasty leaves in your garden within six to eight weeks.
Spinach leaves are rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin c, iron, and calcium. They are several varieties of spinach and it is easy to grow. Once you sow the spinach seeds successfully, you can enjoy the leaves the entire year.
You can enjoy these spinach leaves in a multitude of dishes such as salads, stews, soups, and pasta dishes, etc.
Also Read: How to grow spinach hydroponically?
How to grow spinach in pots?
There are several ways to grow spinach but here you learn about how to grow spinach in pots and it can be placed outdoors, indoors, terrace or courtyard.
There are two ways to grow spinach: the seeds can be transplanted from the root. If you are growing spinach from seed, you can plant the seeds directly in the pot or use the pre-seeding tray. Choose a pot with a wide mouth of 6 to 8 inches deep. You can also use a garden crate, wooden crate, or even a spinach growing container.
Sow the seeds into the soil ½ inch deep. After sowing, they should germinate within 5 to 14 days. However, the time it takes for spinach seeds to germinate will depend on growing conditions and variety.
If you are using a seeding tray, you should wait 2-3 days for the plant to sprout true leaves. Once the actual leaves have grown, the spinach is ready to be transplanted. Spinach loves bright light, although it will grow well in partial shade.
Protect spinach from the midday sun to avoid burns. We recommend growing spinach from seed in early summer as it is a fast-growing plant. Thus, you can simply transplant the spinach along with the rest of the heat-resistant plants. It will grow in a variety of soil types but prefers moist, well-drained clay that is rich in compost.
How to take care of spinach?
It is important to organize the space for the plants because you want the spinach to have enough room to grow. Since spinach has larger leaves, you should place each plant 3-5 inches apart. Of course, you can leave less space if you want to harvest young spinach. If you plan on harvesting earlier, you can continue to grow the spinach along with other vegetables in the same pot. Spinach doesn’t need a lot of room to grow.
The water spinach wants to put the plant in a sunny place in the fall, in temperate climates the time is shorter, and the sunlight is less intense, so the bright light does not burn the water spinach. In the spring or summer, you want to place the plant in partial shade. Since spinach is grown in a pot, you can move it around easily. You can also place the morning glory pot in a sunny place in the morning and the shade during the day. In tropical or subtropical climates, place the spinach pot in the shade.
Watering
When watering spinach with water in a pot, do not wet the leaves. Foliage can cause rot or fungal infections. Make sure the pot you are using drains well, as spinach doesn’t like standing water. Water the spinach regularly in a gentle bath. This is especially true for newly planted seedlings or seeds, where the strong environment can wash away the planted seeds.
Also Read: Why Are My Spinach Leaves Turning Yellow
Soil
Composting the soil is equally important when growing spinach. The soil texture should remain humid and brittle. Spinach hates soaking dense soil in water, so use well-drained soil for optimal plant growth. Keep the soil always moist, never soggy. Moisturizing the soil and protecting spinach from excessive heat, adding mulch. This is true even for potted spinach. Use organic coating materials.
Temperature
Sprout at temperatures below 40 degrees F or 4 degrees C. This vegetable also sprouts at high temperatures, but too much heat can cause burns. The ideal soil temperature for germinating spinach seeds should be maintained at 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 to 27 degrees Celsius.
Spinach is surprisingly hardy and can withstand frost. Ripe spinach leaves will not freeze until the temperature drops to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the spinach needs to be protected from the heat. You can also add mulch to lower soil temperatures in summer.
Fertilizers
Growing spinach loves nitrogen, so enrich the soil with this nutrient before sowing seeds. Just mix compost or well-rotted manure with potting soil. You can also use timing fertilizer or liquid fertilizer; just make sure the nutrients enter the soil slowly. While the spinach is growing, enrich the soil with fish emulsion, cotton meal, compost, or compost tea.
If you use liquid or liquid fertilizers from time to time, add them at regular intervals to ensure sustainable growth. Spread the manure around the base of the water spinach and then gently fertilize the soil. Do this carefully because spinach has shallow roots extinction.
Soil pH
The pH value of soil should be maintained from 6 to 7. Otherwise, if the soil pH is below 6 then the leaves of spinach can turn yellow and wilted. So, maintain the pH above 6.5 which leads to slow growth.
Harvesting spinach from pots
After germination for nearly 50 days, the spinach is almost ready to harvest. Generally, the spinach plant has grown in a pot with 4 inches in height and at least 6 leaves then you can harvest it. You can remove the leaves with scissors. Cut off the outer leaves first and leave the new inner leaves to grow a little longer. You can also cut off the entire plant from the base. The tree will grow again.
You want to start harvesting. The spinach leaves before the plant blooms, otherwise, the leaves will become too bitter to eat. Flowers can bloom in hot and humid weather. The spinach will grow into a straight stem and produce yellow or green flowers. The flowers grow, the leaves thicken and taste bitter. This is called bolting.
Conclusion
As you can see, growing spinach in a pot is surprisingly easy. But to enjoy a bountiful harvest, remember all the gardening tips above.