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Spinach Growing Guide🥬: Planting, Care, and Harvesting Tips for Self-Watering SIP Gardens

Spinach Growing Guide🥬: Planting, Care, and Harvesting Tips for Self-Watering SIP Gardens

Introduction

Spinach is a cool-season superstar — fast-growing, versatile, and rich in nutrients. Whether you're planting in a LifeSpace Garden or using GardenWells sub-irrigation kits, steady hydration keeps leaves tender, delays bolting, and delivers a lush, ongoing harvest.

When to Plant Spinach

  • Spring: Sow as soon as the soil is workable — typically March through April. See our March Gardening Guide for timing tips.

  • Fall: For a second harvest, plant again in late August to early September. Visit the September Gardening Guide for fall planting strategies.

  • Succession Planting: Sow seeds every 2–3 weeks for continuous yields through spring and early summer.

Square Foot Gardening Spacing

  • Spacing: 9 plants per square foot (~4” apart)

  • Depth: Sow seeds ½” deep

  • Thinning: Thin seedlings to the strongest plants

  • Companions: Works beautifully with radishes, peas, and strawberries.

How to Plant Spinach

Direct Seeding

  • Sow 2–3 seeds per hole and thin to one strong seedling.

  • Keep the top 1 cm of soil consistently moist until germination (~5–7 days).

  • A gentle mister helps avoid displacing seeds.

Transplanting (Optional)

  • Transplant plugs when they have 2–3 true leaves.

  • Top-water gently for the first 7–10 days so roots reach the SIP moisture zone.

Watering Your Spinach

Spinach loves steady hydration:

  • Use your WaterStem to monitor levels: when the Hummingbird rises, your reservoir’s full; when it drops, it’s time to refill.

  • Before establishment: Lightly top-water daily until roots take hold.

  • After establishment: Refill reservoirs about every 1–2 weeks depending on weather.

  • Mulch lightly to regulate soil temperatures and reduce evaporation.

  • See the March Gardening Guide for seasonal watering tips.

Harvesting Spinach

  • Baby Leaves: Ready in ~30 days from sowing.

  • Cut-and-Come-Again: Snip outer leaves, letting the plant regrow from the center.

  • Fall Extension: See the October Gardening Guide for tips on frost protection and extending your season.

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue Likely Cause Solution
Bolting Too Early High temps, long days Plant early/late, mulch to cool soil, succession sow
Yellow Leaves Low nitrogen Supplement with compost or balanced organic fertilizer
Leaf Miners Tiny tunnels in leaves Remove affected leaves and encourage beneficial insects

Companion Plants for Spinach

Best companions (with cross-links):

  • Radishes → Quick-growing and loosen soil for spinach roots. Plant together in March.

  • Peas → Light nitrogen fixers; vertical growth saves space. Start peas alongside spinach in early spring.

  • Strawberries → Groundcover synergy; strawberries shade spinach roots in warm weather.

  • Alliums (green onions/chives) → Light pest deterrents; plant along the edges.

  • Lettuce → Interplant for multi-layer harvests in early April.

Avoid planting with:

  • Fennel → Can inhibit spinach growth.

  • Heat-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes nearby; plant these later in the season once spinach is mostly harvested.

Layout Tip:

  • Plant 9 spinach per sq ft.

  • Tuck radishes or scallions along the edges.

  • Add a small pea trellis behind your spinach bed for spring succession layering.

Product Tips

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