Planting Spinach
Spinach is a cool season vegetable in the Amaranthaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
You can sow Spinach directly into the garden 4–6 weeks before your last frost.
For a fall crop, sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost so plants mature as the weather cools.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Spinach room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 3 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 4 |
| Planting depth | 0.5 inches |
| Sun requirement | Partial sun |
Days to Maturity
Spinach reaches maturity in 40–50 days from sowing. Once ready, plants continue producing for approximately 21 days.
For a continuous harvest, sow a new batch every 14 days. Use the succession planting scheduler →
Spinach is ready to harvest after about 45 days. Picking regularly over the roughly 21-day harvest window keeps plants productive and encourages a longer pick. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season vegetable, Spinach does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is frost hardy and can shrug off light freezes, so it can stay in the ground later into the season than tender crops.
Spinach grows well in partial sun and tolerates some afternoon shade, which can help slow bolting in warm weather. Sow seed about 0.5 inches deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Spinach belongs to the Amaranthaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Because it matures relatively quickly, Spinach rewards succession sowing: small, repeated plantings keep a steady supply coming rather than one short glut.
Companion Plants
Pairing Spinach with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.
Grows well with: Strawberry, Shelling Peas, Radish