VegetableSpinach
Spinach
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a cool-season annual vegetable that has been cultivated since the 1400s, prized for its nutrient-dense leaves that grow in a basal clump reaching 6 to 12 inches tall. Hardy from zones 2 through 11, this European staple thrives in spring and fall when temperatures stay moderate, producing an excellent crop before summer heat triggers bolting. The leaves are an exceptional source of vitamins A, B, and C, along with iron, phosphorus, and chlorophyll, making spinach both a nutritional powerhouse and a culinary workhorse that adapts to nearly any garden.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, High Organic Matter
Growth Stats
12 in
Height
12 in
Width
Spacing
6
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-11
Size
12in H x 12in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Spinach performs brilliantly in cool seasons, delivering tender, nutrient-rich leaves that reach harvestable size quickly from spring through fall. Its basal clump habit keeps plants compact and manageable in small spaces, while the leaves' versatility in the kitchen, from raw salads to cooked dishes like quiches, omelets, and pizzas, makes it endlessly useful. The real advantage lies in timing: gardeners who plant spinach in spring (indoors 8 weeks before the last frost) or in late summer for fall harvest avoid the summer bolting that ruins the crop in heat.
Common Uses
Spinach leaves are harvested and used fresh as salad greens or cooked into a wide range of dishes. The tender young leaves work beautifully in raw salads, while mature leaves are ideal for sautéing, wilting into soups, layering into quiches and omelets, or topping pizzas. The leaves are also commonly added to smoothies, grain bowls, and prepared foods where their mild flavor and nutrient density add both substance and nutrition.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
For spring crops, start seeds indoors about 8 weeks prior to your last spring frost date. This timing ensures transplants are ready to go into the ground as soon as soil can be worked.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings gradually before moving them to the garden. Transplant after the last frost date when soil is workable and air temperatures are cool.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for fall harvest. Space plantings according to mature width of 6 to 12 inches.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting spinach leaves once they reach a size suitable for your use, typically within weeks of planting. For continuous harvests, pick outer leaves first, allowing the center to continue growing, or harvest entire rosettes when they reach desired size. The basal clump habit means you can selectively harvest without disturbing the whole plant. Harvest before plants bolt and send up flower spikes, which signals the end of leaf quality.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Bloom Time
Non-flowering
Scientific Classification
Spinacia oleracea
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Spinacia
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Spinach originated in western Asia and made its way to Europe by the 1400s, becoming a cornerstone vegetable in European gardens ever since. Its long history of cultivation reflects its reliability as a food crop and its adaptability to temperate climates. The plant's journey from its native lands to global gardens demonstrates how a cool-season crop found a permanent home in the spring and fall gardens of countless growers.”