Space Organic (F1) Spinach Seed

Scientific name

Spinacia oleracea

Soil and timing

Spinach does well in most moist, fertile soils but dislikes acidity: keep the pH at 6.0 or above, ideally 6.5–7.5. Seed sprouts best in cool soil, so begin sowing in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. In soil warmer than 85°F (30°C), germination is often poor or patchy; if you have to sow in hot weather, irrigate to cool the soil. Sow again in mid- to late summer for a fall crop. In tunnels and other protected structures, sowings from late summer into winter give fall, winter and spring harvests, although growth slows a great deal; floating row cover adds extra winter protection.

Days to maturity

Counted from direct sowing.

Transplanting

Spinach is usually sown in place, but some growers raise transplants, including in paper-pot systems. Transplants help secure a full stand when hot soil or damping-off makes germination unreliable.

Direct seeding

Baby leaf: 3–5 seeds per inch in rows at least 2" apart. Bunching and full-size: about 10 seeds per foot, 1/2" deep, in rows 12–18" apart.

Seeding rates

Baby leaf at 40 seeds per foot, rows at least 2" apart: about 1,000 seeds per 25', 5,000 per 125' and 1.2 million per acre. Full-size at 10 seeds per foot, rows 12–18" apart: about 10,000 seeds per 1,000' and 290,000 per acre.

Succession planting

Sow every 7–10 days for an unbroken supply.

Harvest

Baby leaf is ready in about 3–5 weeks, depending on the season. Cut above the basal plate (the growing point at the base of the plant) so it regrows for another cut; matching varieties to each season makes a second cut more reliable. Rinse the leaves three times, sort out torn or broken ones, then pack. For full-size spinach, cut the long stems just above the basal plate, or cut just below it to take the whole plant. In winter, pick the largest leaves and let the smaller ones size up for later. Full-size spinach can be sold loose or in bunches.

Storage

Keeps 10–14 days at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity.

Seed size

Standard (unsized) seed unless noted otherwise.

Packet

1,000 seeds.

Seeds per lb.

About 47,200 on average.