How to Grow Spinach

This detailed guide will help you grow spinach in your own garden. From planting and care techniques to harvesting, we cover everything you need to know to successfully cultivate this nutritious leafy green. This article includes expert tips for growing spinach in hot climates. Learn about heat-tolerant spinach varieties, optimal watering techniques, and how to prevent bolting.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is healthy and delicious fresh from the garden or in your favorite recipe. Cool-weather and plenty of water help spinach grow well. Many consider it a “superfood”, full of iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Learn how to grow spinach and add this nutritious cool-season crop to your garden. 

7 Tips for How to Grow Spinach

1. How to grow spinach: Plant spinach at the right time

Spinach, with its tender leaves and rich flavor, is a staple in many kitchens. But the heat can pose some challenges for this cool-weather-loving crop when summer rolls around. High temperatures can cause spinach to bolt or produce seeds prematurely, resulting in bitter-tasting leaves.

Spinach can be grown in almost any climate at the right time. It grows best in temperatures between 25°F and 75°F (-3.9°C and 23.9°C). In cold winter areas, plant spinach as soon as the soil can be worked. From seed to harvest, spinach needs about six weeks of cool weather, and it will withstand a moderate frost.  

Plant seeds directly in the soil or start indoors about 6 weeks before planting. Once the seedlings are strong enough, gradually acclimate them to outdoor conditions before transplanting them into the garden.

Wondering how to grow spinach in Arizona? In warm climates like the low desert of Arizona, spinach grows during the cooler months. 

• Start seeds indoors: August – January  
• Plant outside: September – February 15

• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists vegetables, fruit & herbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• HARVEST GUIDE: Photos show what may be ready to harvest that month.
• Planting dates are for the low desert of Arizona.

Learn More

2. Choose the best location to plant spinach

Choose a spot with partial shade to protect your plants from the harshest midday sun.

Spinach prefers moist, fertile soil with neutral to alkaline soil (pH 7.0 or above). Prepare the soil before planting by amending it with 2-4 inches of compost. 

Good companion plants for growing spinach include radishes, strawberries, and garlic. Rotate where you plant spinach (and its relatives – beets and Swiss chard), waiting 2 years (if possible) between planting in the same location to discourage pests and diseases.

3. Try growing different varieties of spinach

Smooth-leaved spinach is easier to clean than other types. 

• Matador – dark green; smooth green leaves; good harvested young. 
• Giant Noble – a large plant with large thick leaves; good for eating raw. 

Savoy types are productive and handle cold weather better than other types. Crinkly leaves can be difficult to clean.  

• Bloomsdale – large heirloom variety has dark-green curled leaves. 

Semi-Savoy varieties grow more upright, and their slightly smoother leaves are easier to clean. These types have good disease resistance and tolerate warm weather better without bolting. 

• Tyee – dark-green large leaves with good yield; slow to bolt and resistant to downy mildew.
• Indian Summer Hybrid – upright, dark green, and slow to bolt. 

The key to growing spinach in hot climates lies in the timing and variety of spinach you choose. Opt for heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Tyee’, ‘Teton’, or ‘Bordeaux’ that are bred to resist bolting.

Heat-tolerant greens that can grow during summer months include New Zealand spinach and Malabar spinach.

4. Plant spinach correctly

• Plant each seed ½ inch deep and 2-4 inches (1.3 cm deep and 5-10 cm) apart.
• Thin to 1 plant every 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) when seedlings are 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) tall.
• Plant seeds every few weeks for a continual harvest.
• If using Square Foot Gardening, plant 4-9 per square, depending on the variety.

5. Provide good care for growing spinach

• Spinach does not like hot weather or dry conditions; plant at the correct time for your climate.
• Spinach prefers consistently-moist soil and regular feedings with seaweed or compost tea. Keeping your spinach well-watered is crucial. The soil should always be moist but not waterlogged.
• Mulch plants to retain moisture and keep plants growing well.
• If leaf miners or other pests are an issue, use row covers for prevention.
• Pick off damaged leaves as the plant grows.  

6. Harvest spinach when young for the best flavor

Begin harvesting spinach leaves as soon as they are big enough to eat. Regular harvesting encourages the plant to produce more leaves.

Watch plants carefully, and harvest when leaves reach your preferred size. Larger leaves can become bitter; don’t wait too long to harvest. Harvest outer leaves (leaving inner leaves for continual harvest) or harvest the entire plant at once by cutting it off at the base.

But be vigilant! If you notice any signs of bolting, such as a tall, spiky stem with flower buds starting to shoot up from the center of the plant, harvest the whole plant immediately to salvage the remaining edible leaves.

7. Clean spinach well and use it in a variety of ways

• Wash spinach leaves carefully; soil often clings to the undersides of leaves.
• Spinach can be stored but is best eaten fresh in salads, steamed, or sauteed lightly.
• Store spinach in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• Preserve spinach by freezing or freeze-drying. Frozen spinach is a great addition to smoothies, soups, and pasta. 

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