Savoy Spinach
Hammerhead Spinach is a full-savoy F1 hybrid that delivers tender, crinkled leaves in just 27 days, making it one of the fastest routes to fresh greens in spring, fall, and winter harvests. With its compact growth habit and exceptional resistance to Downy Mildew, this variety thrives across hardiness zones 3, 10, adapting to a wide range of climates. The deeply textured savoy leaves develop in cool soil, and germination succeeds best when temperatures stay between 50, 70°F, giving spring and fall gardeners ideal conditions for reliable stands.
10-12 inches apart
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3-10
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Annual
High
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In as little as 27 days, you'll have harvestable spinach with the signature crinkled savoy texture that holds dressing beautifully and delivers that tender bite home gardeners crave. The hybrid vigor shows in consistently full stands, especially when soil stays cool and moist, and the built-in Downy Mildew resistance means fewer disease headaches during unpredictable spring and fall weather. Its compact growth fits neatly into small spaces and containers, while the frost-hardy nature lets you stretch your harvest season from early spring through winter in most climates.
Hammerhead Spinach shines fresh in salads where its deeply crinkled savoy leaves catch vinaigrettes and add textural interest, and it wilts beautifully into cooked dishes like soups, sautés, and grain bowls where the tender leaves melt into supporting role without turning to mush.
While direct seeding is the standard approach, Hammerhead Spinach can be started indoors in cool conditions (50, 70°F) and transplanted once established, especially if damping off or germination problems plague direct seeding. This method works well with mechanical transplanters and helps ensure full stands in challenging conditions.
Transplant hardened seedlings outdoors once they've developed true leaves, spacing them approximately 3, 6 inches apart in rows, depending on whether you want baby leaf or full-size harvests. Transplanting is particularly useful when soil temperatures have been warm or germination has been difficult.
Sow directly in early spring as soon as ground is workable, or in mid-to-late summer for fall harvest. Avoid sowing during summer heat (above 85°F soil temperature) due to erratic germination; if necessary, irrigate to cool soil and improve sprouting success.
Harvest Hammerhead Spinach starting at 27 days, when leaves have reached usable size. Pick outer leaves first to encourage continued production, or harvest the entire plant by cutting just above soil level once it reaches full size. The savoy leaves are ready when they've developed their characteristic deep texture and feel tender to the touch.
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