Spinach

Vegetable

10 Available

16 Total Packets

8 Organic

Days to maturity: 42-55 days

Days to germinate: 11

Optimum temp range: 45–75

Min / Max temp: 35°F – 85°F

Start indoors: 21-Feb – 28-Mar

Growing Information

Spinach - Key Growing Information
CULTURE:
Spinach grows in a wide range of soils if moist and fertile but is sensitive to acidity; pH should be at least 6.0, preferably 6.5–7.5. Spinach germinates best in cool soil. Begin sowing in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Summer sowing in soil over 85°F (30°C) risks low or erratic germination. If sowing must be done during warmer weather, irrigating can help cool the soil and improve germination. Sow in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest. Spinach can also be planted from late summer through the winter in protected structures for fall, winter, and spring harvest, though growth rates are much slower. Using floating row covers offers additional winter protection.
DAYS TO MATURITY:
From date of direct seeding.
TRANSPLANTING:
While direct seeding is customary, some growers choose to transplant their spinach, especially using the Paperpot Transplanter. Transplanting can help ensure full stands if germination has been difficult, either because of warm soil temperatures or diseases like damping off.
DIRECT SEEDING:
For baby leaf: Sow 3–5 seeds/inch in rows at least 2" apart. For bunching and full size: Sow 10 seeds/ft., 1/2" deep, in rows 12–18" apart.
AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:
For baby leaf: 1M/25', 5M/125', 1,200M/acre at 40 seeds/ft. in rows at least 2" apart. For full-size leaves: 10M/1,000', 290M/acre at 10 seeds/ft. in rows 12–18" apart.
SUCCESSION PLANTING:
For a continuous supply, sow every 7–10 days.
HARVEST:
For baby leaf: Harvest when leaves reach desired size in 3–5 weeks, depending on time of year and speed of growth, making sure to cut above the basal plate for cut-and-come-again harvests. A second cut is possible by choosing appropriate varieties in all the seasonal slots. Triple-rinse leaves, sort out cut and broken leaves, and package. For full size: Harvest the long stems just above the basal plate, or, by cutting just below the basal plate for whole-plant harvest. When growing winter spinach, harvest largest leaves and allow the smaller ones to size-up for later harvests. Full-size spinach can be sold as loose leaves or bunched.
STORAGE:
Store at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity for 10–14 days.

Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds →

My Notes

Your Packets 16

	Cultivar	Company	DTM	Organic	Amount Left	Expires	Status
	Ballet	Fedco	—	Yes	1/4 oz	2027	OK
	Bloomsdale ▾	Fedco	42 days	Yes	1 oz	2027	OK
This classic savoy-leaf spinach pleases with its excellent rich flavor and fully crinkled crumpled form. Much better in fall than in spring when it bolts in the heat. Recent hybrids surpass it in production and bolt resistance. David Landreth, founder of the Landreth Seed Company, developed the original Bloomsdale Spinach, forerunner of this type. ② Family-owned companies or cooperatives, domestic and foreign ④ Multinational corporations not to our knowledge engaged in genetic engineering 42 days View on Fedco →
	Bojlet	Fedco	—	Yes	1/4 oz	2027	OK
	Butterfle	Johnny's	—		1/8th of an ounce	2026	OK
	Butterfly ▾	Fruition	45		175 seeds	2027	OK
Deep green, melt-in-your-mouth leaves with exceptional cold-hardiness for winter growing. 20-day baby leaf harvest and 45-day full leaf harvest. 45 View on Fruition →
	Matador ▾	High Mowing	43	Yes	20 seeds	2027	OK
Top-yielding spinach variety with strong cold tolerance from biodynamic breeders Kultursaat. Smooth leaves ideal for baby spinach production and easy washing, with exceptional performance when overwintered. 43 View on High Mowing →
	New Zealand Spinach ▾	Fedco	52 days		1/4 oz	2027	OK
Captain Cook’s voyagers noted it in 1770 on the shores of Queen Charlotte’s Sound in New Zealand. Doesn’t look like a true spinach or taste like one, though some find it an acceptable substitute because it stands through the hot summer when true spinach bolts. Cooks have discovered it is a good green baked, especially in lasagna. Only a few plants will fill in your patch because Tetragonia sprawls. Soak the nut-like seeds before sowing to speed and improve germination. Be patient and don’t give up too soon. Irrigate frequently and pick often to keep the leaves tender and succulent and to avoid yellowing. Will withstand frosts to the low 20s. ~350 seeds/oz. ② Family-owned companies or cooperatives, domestic and foreign 52 days View on Fedco →
	Perpetual Spinach ▾	Fedco	55 days		—	2027	OK
Also called Leaf Beet. Thanks to Pam Dawling for suggesting we add this member of the chard family. Leaf beet should be cultured like any other chard variety. It looks similar to other Swiss chards, but its stems are thinner and its exceptionally tender leaves are smoother, not puckered. It tastes unlike any other chard, imparting a spinach-like flavor that lingers pleasantly. Unlike spinach, Perpetual lasts through summer into fall as it withstands light and moderate frosts. Production from June to October, reports one central-Vermont grower. ② Family-owned companies or cooperatives, domestic and foreign Days to maturity are from emergence after direct seeding. 55 days View on Fedco →
	Winter Bloomsdale ▾	Fedco	47 days	Yes	—	2027	OK
Dark green deeply savoyed leaves are slower growing with a more spreading habit than other varieties. Recommended for early spring and fall plantings because it tolerates temperature extremes better than some hybrids. Ideal for wintering over. Along with Space and Olympia has shown the best spring bounce-back after severe winters in the hoophouse. Resistant to CMV and BM. Culture: Very hardy, spinach prefers cool temperatures. Planted as soon as the ground can be worked in spring to avoid early bolting. Minimum germination temperature 35°, optimal range 45–65°. Spinach seed will not germinate in soil temperatures above 85°. For fall crop try late July–Aug. sowing; to overwinter, sow late Aug.–Sept. Heavy nitrogen requirements, but avoid applying high-nitrogen fertilizers shortly before harvest to prevent high nitrate levels in the leaves. Pick large leaves often for heavier production. Smooth-leaved spinach is easier to wash than the semi-savoyed type and is increasingly preferred. Heat, crowding and long day-length (over 14 hours) trigger premature bolting. To retard bolting, avoid hot-weather planting, use wider spacing and irrigate or use shade cloth. 47 days View on Fedco →
	Winter Bloomsdale ▾	Fedco	47 days	Yes	1 oz	2027	OK
Dark green deeply savoyed leaves are slower growing with a more spreading habit than other varieties. Recommended for early spring and fall plantings because it tolerates temperature extremes better than some hybrids. Ideal for wintering over. Along with Space and Olympia has shown the best spring bounce-back after severe winters in the hoophouse. Resistant to CMV and BM. Culture: Very hardy, spinach prefers cool temperatures. Planted as soon as the ground can be worked in spring to avoid early bolting. Minimum germination temperature 35°, optimal range 45–65°. Spinach seed will not germinate in soil temperatures above 85°. For fall crop try late July–Aug. sowing; to overwinter, sow late Aug.–Sept. Heavy nitrogen requirements, but avoid applying high-nitrogen fertilizers shortly before harvest to prevent high nitrate levels in the leaves. Pick large leaves often for heavier production. Smooth-leaved spinach is easier to wash than the semi-savoyed type and is increasingly preferred. Heat, crowding and long day-length (over 14 hours) trigger premature bolting. To retard bolting, avoid hot-weather planting, use wider spacing and irrigate or use shade cloth. 47 days View on Fedco →
	Lavewa	Botanical Interests	—		3 g	2024	Expired
	Matador	Botanical Interests	—		12 g	2024	Expired
	Monstro De Viroflay	Botanical Interests	—		5 g	2024	Expired
	Red Curry	Fedco	—		1/2 oz	2024	Expired
	Regiment	High Mowing	—	Yes	100 seeds	2024	Expired
	Regiment	High Mowing	—	Yes	100 seeds	2024	Expired