Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Crops Vol. 003

Spinach

in Zone 9, this week

Spinach is a fast-growing, very cold-hardy leafy green grown in the cool parts of the year. It handles frost better than almost any other vegetable and can even live through winter under a cover to give you the first greens of spring. But it does not like heat and long summer days, which make it bolt (send up a flower stalk) and turn bitter quickly. That is why spinach grows best in fall and early spring, and why in hot places it is a winter crop. It comes in smooth-leaf types that are easy to wash and crinkly savoy types that are extra hardy, and it likes rich, moist soil that is not too acidic. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a fast, very cold-hardy leafy annual in the goosefoot family, grown for its tender, nutrient-dense leaves in the cool halves of the year. It is one of the hardiest garden vegetables, surviving hard frost into the low 20s°F and overwintering under snow or a row cover for the earliest spring harvest, yet it is also one of the quickest to bolt: lengthening days past about 13 to 14 hours, sped by heat and drought, send it to seed and turn the leaves bitter. That combination makes fall the main season nearly everywhere, with a short early-spring window and, in hot regions, a fall-through-spring winter crop. Spinach comes in three leaf types, smooth (flat), semi-savoy, and savoy (heavily crinkled), and is sensitive to acidic soil, preferring a near-neutral, fertile, evenly moist bed.

Spinach mature plant
Fig. 01 · Spinach, mature Zone 9
Mature in
37-50d
from transplant
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade
4-8 hrs daily
Water
Regular
1.5 inches / week
Spacing
2 to 4 in
between plants
Soil pH
6.5-7.5
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Germination

Off-season for spinach in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 9, spinach can be planted February through May, then again October, skipping the summer heat.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
plant
too early
plant
plant
plant
plant
too hot
too hot
too hot
too hot
plant
too late
too late
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
indoors
plant out
harvest
Seasoned
Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Plant a little spinach every week or two instead of all at once, so you get a steady supply before it bolts. Do this in early spring and again in late summer for fall. In hot areas, skip summer and keep sowing through the cool months.Spinach matures fast and bolts hard, so sow small batches every 1 to 2 weeks through the cool windows rather than all at once: across spring until days lengthen and warm, and again from late summer through fall, which is the longer, more reliable run. In hot regions skip summer entirely and succession-sow through the cool fall, winter, and spring.

Every 2 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 7 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
sow
harvest
keep sowing
too hot
continuous harvest
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

Spinach is best planted straight in the garden from seed, because it grows quickly and does not like having its roots disturbed. Sow the seeds about half an inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for a fall crop. The seeds sprout even in cold soil, but they will not come up well in hot soil, so do not sow in the heat of summer.Spinach is almost always direct-sown, since it grows fast and resents root disturbance. Sow seed about 0.5 inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring (it germinates in soil as cool as 40°F), and again in late summer for the main fall crop. Transplanting is possible from cells or soil blocks for an early start or to place an overwintering crop, but handle the roots gently. Germination is poor in soil above about 75 to 85°F, so summer sowings in warm regions wait for cooling soil.

  1. 01
    Sow outside
    Feb - Mar, Oct
Start method
Direct
Soil temp
40-75°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination
01
Germination
Days 7-14 · current stage
In about 5 to 14 days the seeds sprout and push up two narrow seed leaves. Spinach comes up even in cold soil, but slowly.Seeds germinate in about 5 to 14 days, faster as soil warms toward 60 to 70°F and poorly above 75 to 85°F; two narrow cotyledons emerge.
Keep the soil damp and do not let it crust over. Cold soil means slower sprouting, which is normal.Keep the seedbed evenly moist and uncrusted; expect slow but reliable emergence in cool soil and erratic germination in warm soil.
FROM PLANT · Plant seeds about half an inch deep in damp soil. Spinach sprouts even in cold soil, so you can sow it very early.Sow about 0.5 inch deep into a moist, uncrusted seedbed; spinach germinates from about 40°F and reliably at 60 to 70°F, but poorly above 75 to 85°F.
FROM PLANT · If you sow in late summer for fall, wait until the soil cools down, because spinach seeds will not come up well in hot soil.For the fall crop, pre-sprout or water the furrow to cool it, or wait for soil to drop below 75°F, since warm soil is the main cause of poor late-summer stands.
02
Seedling
Days 10-25
The seedlings grow their first real spinach leaves. When they have 3 to 4 true leaves, it is time to thin them.Young plants form a low rosette; thin at the 3-to-4-true-leaf stage. Flea beetles and the first leafminer mines appear now.
Thin to about 3 to 4 inches apart and eat the thinnings. Watch for flea beetle holes and the first leafminer tunnels.Thin to 3 to 4 inches, keep moisture even, and set or check row cover to exclude leafminer flies.
FROM PLANT · Thin seedlings to about 3 to 4 inches apart once they have a few real leaves, and eat the ones you pull.Thin to 3 to 4 inches at the 3-to-4-true-leaf stage and eat the thinnings; crowding stunts plants and speeds bolting.
FROM PLANT · Cover young plants with a light row cover to keep leafminer flies and flea beetles off.Set floating row cover at sowing to exclude leafminer flies and flea beetles, the two main seedling pests.
03
Established
Days 20-40
The plants form a rosette of full-sized leaves. This is the main growing stage, when they build the leaves you will eat.Plants bulk a rosette of leaves over a few weeks; this is the productive window before bolt.
Keep them evenly watered and give one nitrogen feeding. Check the undersides of leaves for aphids and pick off any mined leaves.Side-dress nitrogen once, hold even moisture to delay bolt, and scout for aphids, leafminer, and downy mildew.
FROM PLANT · Water steadily and give one feeding of nitrogen so the plants grow fast and tender and do not bolt early.Hold even moisture at roughly 1 to 1.5 inches per week and side-dress nitrogen once; drought and heat both trigger bolt.
FROM PLANT · Check under the leaves for aphids and pick off any leaves with pale tunnels (leafminer) before the bugs spread.Scout leaf undersides for aphids and the first leafminer mines; pick and destroy mined leaves before larvae drop to pupate.
04
Harvest
Days 37-50
The leaves reach a usable size, about 3 to 6 inches long, dark green and tender. Pick before the plant starts to stretch upward.Leaves reach 3 to 6 inches at about 37 to 50 days (baby leaf earlier); harvest outer leaves cut-and-come-again or cut the whole rosette above the crown for regrowth.
Pick the outer leaves, or cut the whole plant about an inch above the soil and let it regrow. Harvest in the cool morning.Crop frequently in the cool morning, taking outer leaves or whole-plant cuts; pick faster as days lengthen and warm to beat the bolt.
FROM PLANT · Pick spinach when the leaves are 3 to 6 inches. Take outer leaves, or cut the whole plant an inch above the soil and let it regrow.Harvest at 3 to 6 inch leaf size, either outer leaves cut-and-come-again or the whole rosette cut about an inch above the crown for regrowth; pick in the cool morning.
FROM PLANT · When the weather warms and the plant starts to stretch up, pick everything quickly, because the leaves turn bitter once it flowers.As days lengthen and warm, harvest faster and watch for the central stalk; once it elongates, the leaves turn bitter, so clear the crop.
05
Bolting
Days 50-90
The center of the plant stretches up and starts to form a flower stalk, and the leaves turn bitter and arrow-shaped. This happens as the days get long and warm.The rosette elongates into a flowering stalk as days pass about 13 to 14 hours and warm; leaf flavor turns bitter and texture coarsens.
Harvest everything usable right away, because the leaves only get more bitter. Then pull the plant and use the space for something else.Strip the remaining usable leaves immediately, then pull the plant; an overwintered crop bolts in spring, so clear it before the stalk elongates.
FROM PLANT · Once spinach starts to flower it will not stop, so pick what you can and pull the plant. It bolts when days get long and warm.Spinach bolts mainly on long days (over about 13 to 14 hours), sped by heat and drought; there is no reversing it, so harvest and replace the planting.
FROM PLANT · Fall is the best time to grow spinach because the short days keep it from bolting. Spinach that lives through winter will bolt in spring, so pick it before that.Favor the fall and overwintering crop, which grows under shortening days and rarely bolts; clear overwintered plants in spring before the stalk forms.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Spinach likes rich, loose soil that holds moisture but drains well, with lots of compost mixed in. The one thing it really cares about is not-too-acidic soil, so if your ground is very acidic, add a little lime to bring it closer to neutral. A quick soil test tells you where you stand.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade · 4-8 hrs/day
Water
Regular
Spacing
2 to 4 inches
Soil
loam, sandy loam
Days to maturity
37-50 days from transplant
Soil pH
6.5 to 7.5
Container OK?
Yes · 1+ gal pot
Germination temp
40-75°F
In a pot

Yes, 1 gallon and up

Spinach grows well in a wide, shallow pot at least 6 inches deep, sown thickly and thinned for baby leaves or spaced for full plants. Keep it watered and in the cool seasons, and give it some afternoon shade in warm weather.Spinach is a good container crop because it is shallow-rooted, compact, and quick. Use a broad container at least 6 inches deep, one gallon or more, sown densely for cut baby leaves or thinned to 3 to 4 inches for full plants, and keep moisture even since shallow pots dry fast. Grow it in the cool seasons and give afternoon shade in warm spells to slow bolting.

Pot size
1 gallon and up; 3 gallons is comfortable
Mature size
8 to 12 inches tall
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Empty the saucer after watering so roots never sit in water, which invites damping-off and root rot.
Watering
Shallow pots dry out fast, so check daily in warm weather and keep the mix evenly moist.Shallow containers dry faster than beds; check moisture daily in warmth and water before the mix dries, since drought stress triggers bolting.
Depth and shape
At least 6 inches deep. Spinach is shallow-rooted, so depth matters less than surface area: a wide, shallow container at least 6 inches deep gives more sowing area for cut-and-come-again leaves and buffers the fast drying narrow pots suffer.
Self-watering pot
Yes. A self-watering container suits spinach well, since it smooths out the steady moisture that keeps the leaves tender and delays bolting.
Mix
A light, well-drained potting mix high in organic matter. Blend in compost and a starter nitrogen source; spinach dislikes acidity, so a pinch of lime helps if the mix is peat-heavy and acidic.
Feeding
Container spinach needs slightly more frequent light feeding than in-ground plants because watering leaches nutrients.
One to try

Bloomsdale Long StandingA classic heavily-savoyed heirloom with thick, crinkled dark leaves and good cold-hardiness; slower to bolt than plain Bloomsdale, a dependable spring and overwintering type. The crinkles hold grit, so wash well.

3 more compact types

TyeeA vigorous semi-savoy hybrid, slow to bolt and resistant to downy mildew; an upright plant that stays clean, good for spring and fall.

MelodyAn All-America Selections semi-savoy with disease resistance and broad adaptability; a reliable, productive beginner choice.

SpaceA fast, smooth-leaved hybrid with downy mildew resistance and slow bolting; smooth leaves are easy to wash and good for baby-leaf and containers.

Winter

In mild areas, a pot of fall-sown spinach can keep going through winter in a sheltered, sunny spot. In cold areas, move the pot against the house or into a cold frame, or cover it during hard freezes, and it will often resume in spring.Spinach is very cold-hardy, so a fall-sown container can overwinter in mild zones, holding through winter in a sheltered spot and resuming growth in spring. In cold zones the limited root volume of a pot freezes harder than open ground, so sink it, move it to a cold frame or unheated structure, or cover it during hard freezes; an overwintered pot then yields the earliest spring picking.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for spinach

Preferred
6.5 to 7.5
Tolerated
6 to 7.5

Spinach grows best in soil that is close to neutral, about 6.5 to 7.5. It does not like acidic soil, so if a soil test reads below 6.0, mix in some lime before planting.Aim for a soil pH of about 6.5 to 7.5; spinach is one of the more acid-sensitive vegetables and yields drop on soils below roughly 6.0, where manganese can become available enough to injure the plant. Clemson advises a 6.0 to 7.0 minimum and the University of Minnesota up to about 8, so lean to the neutral-to-slightly-alkaline side and lime an acid plot the season before.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water regularly so the soil stays evenly moist, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches a week.About 1 to 1.5 inches per week, kept even; spinach is shallow-rooted and bolts faster under drought stress.
Amount
Aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week, a bit more when it is warm.Roughly 1 to 1.5 inches per week (Utah State cites 1 to 2 inches), more in warm, dry spells.
Method
Water at the base of the plants rather than over the leaves, which helps prevent leaf diseases.Water at the soil line with drip or a soaker hose; keeping the foliage dry checks downy mildew and white rust.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
Lower leaves yellow, seedlings rot at the base, and leaves get moldy in soggy, crowded beds.Yellowing lower leaves, damping-off in seedlings, and downy mildew in crowded, constantly wet plantings.
Too little water
Wilting leaves and a plant that bolts (flowers) sooner than it should.Wilting, slowed growth, and faster bolting; drought stress is a direct bolt trigger in spinach.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
once or twice per crop
Type
Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
When to start
a light feed at thinning, then side-dress 3 to 4 weeks after sowing

Spinach grows fast and likes nitrogen for big green leaves. Mix some compost or fertilizer into the soil before planting, then give it one feeding of a nitrogen fertilizer about 3 to 4 weeks after the seeds come up. Because the crop is quick, you usually do not need to feed it more than that.Spinach is a fast leafy crop that runs on nitrogen, but the season is short, so one or two feedings are usually enough. Work compost or a balanced fertilizer in before sowing, then side-dress with nitrogen about 3 to 4 weeks after planting (or at thinning) to push tender, dark-green leaves. Utah State suggests about a quarter cup of 21-0-0 per 10 feet of row; Clemson uses calcium nitrate. Avoid heavy late feeding, since spinach readily takes up nitrate and lush growth draws aphids and leafminers.

N · P · K = 21-0-0

Use a nitrogen-rich feed such as blood meal or a 21-0-0 fertilizer once the plants are a few weeks old.High N for leafy growth; e.g. a quarter cup of 21-0-0 per 10 ft of row, or calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0), side-dressed 3 to 4 weeks after sowing. No phosphorus or potassium needed beyond a soil-test baseline.

Try Calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0), blood meal, or 21-0-0
Who grows well together

Companion planting

Spinach is small, fast, and shade-tolerant, so it tucks in well between slower, taller crops. It grows happily next to peas and beans, strawberries, and members of the cabbage family, and it does not get along badly with much. Just keep it away from its close relatives beets and chard, which share its leafminer pest. Most spinach companion pairings rest on space, timing, and tradition rather than measured effects. The practical ones are structural: spinach is shallow-rooted, quick, and tolerates light shade, so it interplants under or beside taller, slower crops (peas, beans, brassicas) and is harvested before they crowd it. The one well-grounded caution is to separate spinach from beets and Swiss chard, its close relatives in the goosefoot family, which share the spinach leafminer and several diseases, a rotation and pest principle more than a tested adjacency effect.

Other
Peas
Peas grow up while spinach stays low, so they share a bed without competing, and both love the same cool weather. Peas also add a little nitrogen to the soil that the leafy spinach can use.Peas and spinach are a traditional cool-season pairing on structure and timing: peas trellis upward and cast light shade that suits spinach, both thrive in the same early-spring and fall windows, and the legume fixes a little nitrogen the leafy spinach can draw on. Expect efficient use of the bed and season rather than a documented growth boost. Traditional
Strawberries
Strawberries and spinach are a long-standing garden pairing. The low spinach fills space between strawberry plants early in the season and is picked before the berries take over.Strawberries and spinach are a traditional pairing that works mainly on habit and timing: low, quick spinach uses the open ground between young strawberry plants in the cool of spring and is harvested before the berries spread. A space-use tradition, not a measured effect. Traditional
Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli)
Tall cabbage-family plants give spinach a bit of light shade in warm spells, which helps it last longer before bolting, and the quick spinach is gone before the brassicas need the room.Spinach interplants beneath cabbage-family crops on a space-and-light basis: it tolerates the partial shade taller brassicas cast, which can buy a little time against bolting in warm spells, and it matures and is cleared before the brassicas fill out. Traditional and practical rather than a documented adjacency effect; the two do not share a major pest. Traditional
Vegetable
Radishes
A fast cool-season root often sown with spinach to mark rows and use space; both are quick and frost-tolerant. Traditional and space-driven, not a documented effect. Traditional
interplant or sow together
Keep apart from
Beets and Swiss chard Keep spinach away from beets and Swiss chard. They are close relatives and share the same leafminer pest and some diseases, so planting them together helps those problems build up.Beets, Swiss chard, and spinach all belong to the goosefoot family and are the favored hosts of the spinach leafminer, whose maggots blister and ruin the leaves; they also share several leaf diseases. Planting them side by side or in succession concentrates the leafminer and disease pressure and lets the soil-overwintering leafminer build. Separate them in space and rotate so goosefoot crops do not follow one another. Well-grounded
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Spinach is ready to pick when the leaves are about 3 to 6 inches long and tender, around 37 to 50 days after planting. Take the outer leaves a few at a time, or cut the whole plant an inch above the soil so it grows back. Pick in the cool morning, and harvest it all before it starts to flower (bolt), because the leaves get bitter then.Spinach is ready when the leaves are 3 to 6 inches long, dark green, and tender, usually 37 to 50 days from sowing (baby leaf sooner). Harvest the outer leaves cut-and-come-again, or cut the whole rosette about an inch above the crown and let it regrow; pick in the cool morning and crop faster as days lengthen, since the leaves turn bitter once the plant bolts.

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Yield

What to expect

Each spinach plant gives a small bunch of leaves, so it is grown in rows or patches rather than one big plant. A short row of plants gives several pickings before they bolt.A single spinach plant yields a modest rosette of leaves, roughly 0.25 pound, over a few weeks; the crop is grown in quantity rather than per plant. Utah State cites about 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row.

Spinach produces the most in the cool weather of fall and early spring. A spring crop gives a few good weeks and then bolts, but a fall crop lasts longer and can carry into winter under a cover.Production peaks in the cool weeks of fall and early spring; a spring crop produces hard for a few weeks and then ends abruptly at bolt, while the fall crop holds longer under shortening days and, with cover, into winter. The trick with spinach is timing. Plant early in spring or in late summer for fall, and pick often once the leaves are big enough. Most beginners plant too late in spring and the plants flower before giving much, so try fall, which is easier.The key to total yield is timing and frequent picking: get the crop in early enough to mature before the bolt-triggering long days, harvest often once leaves size up, and lean on the fall and overwintering crops for the longest harvest. New growers usually sow too late in spring and lose the crop to bolt.

What changes yield
Timing: a crop that matures before the long, warm days of late spring yields well; one sown too late bolts before producing. Fall and overwintering crops yield longest.Variety: slow-bolting (long-standing) and disease-resistant types extend the productive window.Even moisture and nitrogen: steady water and one nitrogen feed keep leaves tender and delay bolt; stress cuts yield and quality.Spacing and airflow: thinning to 3 to 4 inches prevents crowding and the downy mildew that crowded, wet plantings invite.
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

For spring, pick slow-bolting kinds like Bloomsdale Long Standing or Tyee so the plants last longer before flowering. Melody and Space are easy, disease-resistant choices. For a fall or winter crop, grow a hardy type like Giant Winter. Smooth-leaf varieties are easiest to wash; the crinkly savoy types are the most cold-hardy but hold more grit.Match the variety to the slot. For the short spring window and any warm stretch, lean on slow-bolting (long-standing) types like Bloomsdale Long Standing, Tyee, and Olympia. Where downy mildew is a concern, choose resistant cultivars (Tyee, Melody, Space, and newer race-resistant hybrids). For fall and overwintering, the hardiest savoys (Giant Winter, Bloomsdale) take the most cold. Smooth-leaf types (Space, Olympia) wash easily and suit baby-leaf and containers; savoys are hardiest but trap grit; semi-savoys split the difference.

Bloomsdale Long Standing
A classic heavily-savoyed heirloom with thick, crinkled dark leaves and good cold-hardiness; slower to bolt than plain Bloomsdale, a dependable spring and overwintering type. The crinkles hold grit, so wash well.
Tyee
A vigorous semi-savoy hybrid, slow to bolt and resistant to downy mildew; an upright plant that stays clean, good for spring and fall.
Melody
An All-America Selections semi-savoy with disease resistance and broad adaptability; a reliable, productive beginner choice.
Space
A fast, smooth-leaved hybrid with downy mildew resistance and slow bolting; smooth leaves are easy to wash and good for baby-leaf and containers.
Olympia
A smooth-leaved, slow-bolting type that holds in spring heat better than many; good for a longer spring window.
Giant Winter (Winter Bloomsdale)
An extra-hardy savoy bred for fall sowing and overwintering; sized up before winter, it survives under snow or row cover and gives the earliest spring picking.
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Do not leave spinach out on the counter. It wilts fast in the warmth, so get it into the fridge soon after picking.Spinach wilts and yellows within a day at room temperature, so refrigerate it promptly after cutting; if it must sit briefly, keep it cool and out of the sun.
Fridge
Store spinach unwashed in a loose bag in the fridge's crisper drawer, where it keeps for 1 to 2 weeks if kept very cold. Wash it only when you are ready to use it.Refrigerate unwashed in a loose or perforated bag in the crisper; spinach holds about 1 to 2 weeks near 32°F at high humidity. Washing before storage traps moisture and speeds breakdown, so wait to wash until use.
Freezer
Spinach freezes well if you blanch it first. Boil the leaves for about 2 minutes, cool them right away in ice water, drain, and freeze.Spinach freezes well once blanched: dunk leaves in boiling water about 2 minutes, cool quickly in ice water, drain well, and freeze. Blanching halts the enzymes that otherwise cause off-flavors and color loss.
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When something goes wrong

Common problems

01 of 04
What happened Your spinach shot up a central stalk and the leaves turned bitter and arrow-shaped. Spinach bolts (runs to flower) when the days get long and warm, which tells it to make seed, and once it bolts the leaves are no good. People often blame themselves, but it is the plant's normal response to day length. Next time, sow as early as you can in spring, choose slow-bolting varieties, and lean on a fall crop, which grows under short days and rarely bolts.The rosette elongated into a seed stalk and leaf quality collapsed. Bolting is driven mainly by lengthening days (over about 13 to 14 hours), accelerated by heat and drought; an overwintered crop bolts as spring warms. Growers most often sow too late in spring. Next time sow at first workable soil, use long-standing cultivars, hold even moisture, and favor the fall and overwintering window. Next season Sow very early in spring, use slow-bolting varieties, and grow a fall crop for the easiest, longest harvest.Sow at first workable soil, choose long-standing cultivars, keep moisture even, and lean on fall and overwintering crops.
02 of 04
What happened You found pale winding tunnels that widened into tan blisters on the leaves, with no good way to wash them off. That is the spinach leafminer, a fly whose maggots eat inside the leaf. Because you eat the leaves, the damage ruins them. Next time, cover the plants with a row cover from the day you sow so the flies cannot lay eggs, pull weeds like lambsquarters that host them, and pick off mined leaves early.Leaves showed serpentine mines opening into translucent blotches, the signature of the spinach leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami), which has three to four generations and overwinters as soil pupae. Sprays reach larvae inside the leaf poorly. Next time exclude the adult flies with row cover from sowing, control goosefoot weeds, rotate away from spinach, beets, and chard, and remove mined leaves before pupation. Next season Use a row cover from sowing, pull host weeds, and remove mined leaves before the maggots spread.Row-cover from sowing, control host weeds, rotate the goosefoot crops, and strip mined leaves before larvae drop.
03 of 04
What happened Your spinach got pale yellow patches on top with fuzzy gray-purple mold underneath, and the leaves yellowed and collapsed. That is downy mildew, which thrives in the same cool, wet weather spinach likes, especially when plants are crowded and stay wet. Next time, grow resistant varieties, thin the plants for airflow, water at the soil line, and rotate where you plant.Chlorotic upper-surface lesions with grayish-purple sporulation beneath indicate downy mildew (Peronospora effusa), the most important spinach disease, favored by cool temperatures and long leaf wetness, with races that defeat resistance. Next time choose the broadest available race resistance, widen spacing, switch to drip, and lengthen the rotation. Next season Grow resistant varieties, thin for airflow, water at the base, and rotate your spinach bed.Use broadly race-resistant cultivars, widen spacing for airflow, irrigate by drip, and rotate away from spinach.
04 of 04
What happened Your spinach came up thin and patchy, or barely at all. Spinach seed will not sprout well in warm soil (above about 75 to 85°F), loses its vigor quickly with age, and can be blocked by a hard soil crust. Next time, sow in cool soil (early spring or once late-summer soil cools), use fresh seed each year, and keep the surface moist so it does not crust.Stand was thin and uneven. Spinach germination is inhibited above roughly 75 to 85°F, the seed is short-lived and drops in vigor within a year or two, and a crust blocks the weak shoots. Next time sow into cool soil (or pre-sprout for late-summer sowings), buy fresh seed yearly, and keep the seedbed moist and uncrusted. Next season Sow in cool soil, use fresh seed, and keep the surface moist so it does not crust over.Sow into cool soil (pre-sprout in late summer), use fresh seed yearly, and keep the bed moist to prevent crusting.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Spinach leafminer
P · 01
Symptoms You'll see pale, winding tunnels in the leaves that widen into large tan blisters or blotches. If you hold a leaf up to the light, you can sometimes see the tiny maggot inside. The damaged parts are not good to eat.Slender, winding mines in the foliage enlarge into translucent tan blotches; heavily mined leaves are unmarketable and the crop is the leaf, so even light feeding matters. The pale legless maggots are visible inside the leaf against the light. Cause A small fly lays eggs on the underside of the leaves, and the maggots that hatch tunnel inside the leaf between the top and bottom layers, eating as they go. Spinach, beets, and chard are its favorites.The spinach leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami) overwinters as pupae in the soil and emerges around mid-May; females lay rows of white eggs on leaf undersides, and the maggots tunnel between the leaf surfaces. There are three to four overlapping generations a season on spinach, beets, chard, and goosefoot weeds. Organic treatment Once a maggot is inside a leaf, sprays do not reach it well, so pick off and destroy mined leaves as soon as you see them, before the maggots drop to the soil. Crushing the maggot inside the leaf works too.Insecticides poorly reach larvae inside the leaf, so rely on cultural control: pick and destroy mined leaves before larvae drop to pupate, and crush maggots in the leaf. Spinosad has some activity on young larvae; abamectin is a conventional option. Prevention Cover the plants with a light row cover right after sowing so the flies cannot lay eggs, and pull nearby weeds like lambsquarters that host the pest. Rotating where you grow spinach, beets, and chard each year also helps.Exclude the egg-laying flies with floating row cover or insect netting from sowing, control goosefoot weeds (lambsquarters, chickweed, nightshade) that host the pest, rotate away from where spinach, beets, or chard grew, and deep-cultivate in spring to bury overwintering pupae.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Move where you grow spinach, beets, and chard each year instead of reusing the same bed. This pest treats all three crops the same way, so rotating the whole group to fresh ground each season helps keep it from picking up where it left off.The fly overwinters as pupae in the soil beneath last year's host crop, so rotate away from any ground that carried spinach, beets, or chard, treating the three as one rotation unit; a same-family replant hands the emerging spring flight its first host.

  2. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Pull nearby weeds like lambsquarters, which this pest also feeds on. Clearing them before you sow and keeping the bed edges clean removes the backup homes the flies use when your spinach is not there.Pegomya hyoscyami sustains itself on goosefoot weeds, lambsquarters above all, between crop plantings; clearing those hosts around the bed removes the reservoir that feeds the three to four overlapping generations it can run in a season.

  3. Off-season tillage

    Work the soil deeply in spring wherever spinach, beets, or chard grew last year. The pest waits out winter there as pupae, the resting stage buried in the soil, and deep cultivation buries them so fewer flies come up to start the year.Deep spring cultivation of last year's host ground buries the overwintering pupae ahead of the emergence around mid-May, thinning the first flight that seeds every later generation.

  4. Garden sanitation

    Pick off and destroy any leaf showing pale tunnels or tan blisters as soon as you see it, before the maggot inside can drop to the soil. Crushing the maggot right inside the leaf works too.Removing mined leaves before larvae exit to pupate is the control that actually reaches this pest, since the larva spends its feeding life sealed between the leaf surfaces; crushing larvae in the mine is just as effective, and either way the leaf was already unmarketable.

  5. Floating row cover

    Put a light row cover or insect netting over the bed right after sowing so the flies cannot reach the leaves to lay their eggs. No eggs on the leaves means no maggots inside them.Exclusion from sowing onward denies females the leaf undersides where they set their rows of white eggs; pair it with rotation, because covering ground that hosted the pest last year can trap the emerging flies under the net with the crop.

  6. Spinosad

    Do not expect a spray to rescue mined leaves; once a maggot is inside a leaf, sprays do not reach it well. Spinosad has some effect on the youngest maggots, and it belongs alongside picking off mined leaves, not in place of it. Spray at dusk so bees are not out.Larvae feeding between the leaf surfaces are poorly exposed to insecticides, so cultural removal stays primary; spinosad shows some activity on young larvae before they are deep in the mine. It is toxic to bees while wet and for about a day after, so apply at dusk and keep it off anything in flower.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Aphids
P · 02
Symptoms Clusters of tiny soft green or gray insects on the undersides of leaves and on new growth, sometimes with curled, puckered leaves and a sticky coating. They are hard to wash out of crinkled savoy leaves.Colonies of green peach or other aphids on leaf undersides and growing tips distort and pucker the foliage; honeydew and sooty mold downgrade the crop, and curly savoy leaves are hard to clean. Aphids also transmit cucumber mosaic and other viruses. Cause Aphids are small insects that suck sap from the plant. They breed quickly, especially on soft growth from too much fertilizer, and they can spread plant viruses.Several aphid species feed on spinach; they reproduce rapidly, favor the soft growth that excess nitrogen produces, and are most damaging as virus vectors. Organic treatment Blast them off with a strong spray of water, or use insecticidal soap or neem oil, making sure to hit the undersides of the leaves. Repeat every few days until they are gone.Dislodge colonies with a strong water jet or spray insecticidal soap or neem, covering leaf undersides; repeat every few days. Conserve ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps. Prevention Welcome helpful bugs like ladybugs and lacewings, go easy on nitrogen fertilizer, and check the new growth often so you catch them early.Scout growing tips early, avoid overfeeding nitrogen, conserve natural enemies, and use row cover, which doubles as leafminer exclusion.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on nitrogen fertilizer. Heavy feeding pushes out the soft new growth that aphids multiply on fastest, so a lighter hand keeps your plants less inviting from the start.Excess nitrogen drives the tender flush growth colonies build on, so restrained feeding is the preventive baseline; it matters doubly on spinach because the larger threat is the cucumber mosaic and other viruses aphids vector, not the sap they take.

  2. Floating row cover

    A light row cover from sowing keeps flying aphids from ever landing on the crop, and the same cover is already doing duty against the leafminer fly.Row cover excludes incoming winged aphids before colonies establish, which also intercepts the viruses they transmit; on spinach the cover pulls double duty as leafminer exclusion.

  3. Water spray

    Blast the clusters off with a strong jet of water from the hose, aiming up at the undersides of the leaves where they gather. Repeat every few days until you stop finding them, and spray early in the day so the leaves can dry.A hard water jet dislodges colonies from leaf undersides and growing tips; crinkled savoy foliage hides and holds aphids, so work the spray into the folds and repeat every few days. An early-day pass lets foliage dry before evening.

  4. Beneficial predators

    Make the garden friendly to ladybugs and lacewings, the helpful insects that eat aphids, and let them do part of the patrol. Avoid sprays that would kill them along with the pests.Conserve ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps before reaching for any spray; broad-spectrum materials remove the predator pressure that was keeping colonies small, and scouting the growing tips early lets the predators start while the colony is still catchable.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    If they keep building up, spray insecticidal soap directly on the clusters, making sure it coats the undersides of the leaves. It only kills what it touches, so coverage is everything. Repeat every few days, and skip it in heat above 90°F or on drought-stressed plants, since it can burn the leaves.Soap kills the soft-bodied insects it wets, so coverage of the undersides and the savoy folds decides the result; it takes out soft-bodied beneficials the same way, so confine it to infested growth. Foliage burn is the risk above 90°F or on water-stressed plants.

  6. Neem oil

    Neem oil is another option, used the same way: coat the undersides where the aphids cluster and repeat every few days. Keep it off anything in flower so bees are not exposed, and do not spray in heat above 90°F or on plants that are drought-stressed.Neem is a low-residue alternative to soap for colonies you can wet directly, sparing beneficials once dry; skip applications above 90°F or on drought-stressed plants, and keep spray and drift off open flowers and any water bees drink.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Flea beetles
P · 03
Symptoms Lots of tiny round holes peppering the leaves of young plants, made by small dark beetles that jump like fleas when you come near. Heavy damage can stunt seedlings.Small round shot-holes pepper the leaves of young plants; the tiny dark beetles jump when disturbed. Damage is mostly cosmetic on a leaf crop but can stunt or kill seedlings at high pressure. Cause Flea beetles are small jumping beetles that chew little holes in young leaves. They hurt small seedlings the most, since a tiny plant cannot outgrow the damage.Flea beetles chew the foliage of young spinach and are most damaging at the seedling stage; the holes mar the harvested leaves. Organic treatment Cover young plants with a row cover, and if there are many beetles use a spinosad spray or a kaolin clay coating. The main goal is to get the seedlings big enough to shrug it off.Protect seedlings with row cover and spray spinosad or apply kaolin clay if pressure is high; the aim is getting plants past the vulnerable seedling stage. Prevention Use row cover from sowing, keep seedlings strong with steady water and food so they grow past the damage, and clear weeds nearby.Row cover from sowing, vigorous seedlings kept evenly watered and fed, and clean cultivation of nearby weeds.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Floating row cover

    Cover the bed with row cover from the day you sow. These beetles do their real harm to small seedlings, which cannot outgrow the damage, so keeping the beetles off until the plants are bigger is the main defense.Exclusion from sowing carries seedlings past the stage where shot-hole feeding stunts or kills them; on a leaf crop the cover also keeps the cosmetic pitting off what you harvest.

  2. Kaolin clay film

    If beetles are thick, a coating of kaolin clay, a fine white clay you spray onto the leaves, makes the plants unappealing to them. Renew the coating as new leaves grow; the goal is simply to get the seedlings big enough to shrug the damage off.A kaolin particle film repels rather than kills, so maintain the coating on expanding foliage through the vulnerable seedling window, then let it lapse once plants can absorb the feeding.

  3. Spinosad

    For heavy beetle numbers that a cover has not handled, a spinosad spray can knock the pressure down while the seedlings grow past the danger stage. Spray at dusk so bees are not out foraging.Spinosad is the rescue when pressure outruns exclusion; the aim is bridging the seedling window, not season-long suppression. It is toxic to bees while wet and for about a day after, so apply at dusk and keep it off anything in flower.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Caterpillars (loopers and armyworms)
P · 04
Symptoms Ragged chewed holes in the leaves, green or striped caterpillars on the plants, and dark droppings. They are mostly a warm-season and southern problem.Ragged feeding holes with green or striped larvae and frass; cabbage loopers, beet armyworms, and corn earworms feed on spinach, mostly in warm-season and southern plantings. Cause Several moths lay eggs on the leaves, and the caterpillars that hatch chew the foliage. Because you eat the leaves, even a little chewing is a problem.The larvae of several moths feed on spinach foliage; on a leaf crop even modest defoliation reduces the harvest. Organic treatment Spray Bt, which is low in toxicity to people, pets and bees and acts on caterpillars rather than on insects in general. It cannot tell a pest caterpillar from a butterfly one, so treat only the plants that have a problem. Or pick them off by hand. Spray again after rain since it washes off.Apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or spinosad targeting young larvae, and hand-pick where practical; repeat after rain. Prevention Use a row cover, clean up old plants and weeds where moths shelter, and check the undersides of leaves for eggs and small caterpillars.Use row cover, clean up crop debris and weed hosts, and scout leaf undersides for eggs and early instars.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Clean up old, finished plants and plant debris where the moths shelter. Less cover around the bed means fewer moths waiting to lay eggs on your spinach.Clearing crop debris and spent plantings removes the shelter adult moths use between flights; this is mostly a warm-season and southern pressure, and sanitation lowers what the later rungs have to absorb.

  2. Floating row cover

    A row cover stops the moths from laying eggs on the leaves in the first place, and since the caterpillars come from those eggs, no eggs means no chewing.Exclusion breaks the cycle at egg-laying; a cover kept sealed from sowing denies looper and armyworm moths the foliage for the life of the planting.

  3. Handpicking

    Check the undersides of leaves for eggs and small caterpillars and pick off any you find. Watch for frass, the dark sawdust-like droppings caterpillars leave, to tell you where they are feeding, and remember that on a crop you eat as leaves, even a little chewing counts.Scout leaf undersides for eggs and early instars and remove them on sight; frass and ragged holes locate larvae fast, and the tolerance for defoliation on a leaf crop is low enough that early picking pays.

  4. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

    If picking is not keeping up, spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a bacteria-based spray that kills caterpillars that eat treated leaves and is low in toxicity to people, pets, and bees. It cannot tell a pest caterpillar from a butterfly one, so treat only the plants with a problem, and spray again after rain washes it off.Bt must be ingested and works best on young larvae, so time it to early instars and reapply after rain or new growth; it acts on moth and butterfly caterpillars as a group, so confine it to the infested crop rather than spraying by calendar.

  5. Spinosad

    Spinosad is a stronger organic option if Bt and picking have not held the line, and it also works best on small, young caterpillars. Spray at dusk so bees are not foraging.Where Bt lags, spinosad hits the same young-larva window with more force; it is toxic to bees while wet and for about a day after, so apply at dusk and keep it off flowering plants.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Diseases
Downy mildew (blue mold)
D · 01
Symptoms Pale yellow patches on the tops of the leaves with a fuzzy gray-purple mold on the undersides, mostly in cool, damp, crowded conditions. Bad cases yellow and collapse the leaves.Irregular pale-yellow lesions on the upper leaf surface with grayish-purple sporulation beneath (the blue mold), spreading in cool, wet, humid weather; lesions brown and the leaves collapse. It is the most important spinach disease. Cause A mold-like disease that loves the same cool, wet weather spinach grows in, and spreads through wet leaves and splashing water. Crowded plants and long leaf wetness make it worse.Peronospora effusa, an oomycete favored by cool temperatures, long leaf wetness, and high humidity; it spreads by wind- and splash-borne spores and survives on debris and as oospores, with many physiological races that overcome resistance. Organic treatment Remove the worst leaves, open up the airflow so leaves dry faster, and water at the soil instead of over the plants. It is hard to stop once it gets going, so prevention matters most.Cultural control dominates: improve airflow, avoid overhead irrigation, remove infected leaves and debris; copper has limited efficacy. There is no rescue once it is established in humid weather. Prevention Grow resistant varieties (this is the main defense), space plants for good airflow, water at the base, and rotate where you plant spinach each year.Plant resistant cultivars (the primary tool, choosing the broadest race resistance available), widen spacing for airflow, use drip rather than overhead water, and rotate away from spinach for several years.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Resistant varieties

    Choosing a resistant variety is the main defense against this disease, so start there at seed-buying time. If downy mildew has shown up in your garden, treat resistance as a requirement, not a bonus.Resistant cultivars are the primary tool; the pathogen runs many physiological races that overcome resistance, so choose the broadest race package available rather than trusting any single resistance label.

  2. Crop rotation

    Grow spinach in a different spot each year. The disease can carry over where spinach grew before, so moving the crop lets you start clean.Peronospora effusa survives on debris and as oospores, so rotate away from former spinach ground for several years rather than one.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants out so air can move through and the leaves dry faster. Crowded, damp plantings are exactly where this disease takes off.Long leaf wetness and high humidity drive infection, so spacing that shortens drying time attacks the disease's core requirement; crowding is an outsized lever on spinach because the crop already grows in the cool, damp weather the pathogen prefers.

  4. Water at the base

    Water the soil, not the leaves. This disease spreads through wet leaves and splashing water, so keeping the foliage dry slows it down.Spores are splash- and wind-dispersed and need leaf wetness to infect, so drip or base watering in place of overhead irrigation removes the one wetness period you actually control.

  5. Garden sanitation

    Remove the worst-affected leaves and clean up spinach debris. This disease is hard to stop once it gets going, so taking out infected leaves early matters more than any cure.Rogue out sporulating leaves and clear the debris that carries the pathogen forward; once it is established in humid weather there is no rescue, so sanitation is about protecting the rest of the stand and the next planting.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

White rust
D · 02
Symptoms White, blister-like bumps on the undersides of leaves, with yellow spots on top. Badly spotted leaves are not good to eat.White, blister-like pustules on leaf undersides with chlorotic spotting above; severe infection distorts and downgrades the foliage. A serious disease in the southern and south-central states. Cause A different mold-like disease, not a true rust, that makes white pustules on the leaves and spreads in cool, moist weather. It can ruin a crop quickly.The oomycete Albugo occidentalis, favored by cool nights, warm days, and leaf wetness; it spreads by splash- and wind-dispersed spores and survives on debris. Organic treatment Remove and destroy infected leaves, improve airflow, and water at the soil line. As with downy mildew, prevention works better than trying to cure it.Remove infected leaves and debris, improve airflow, and avoid overhead irrigation; chemical options are limited for the home garden. Prevention Choose resistant varieties where it is common, space plants out, avoid wetting the leaves, and rotate your planting spot.Grow resistant cultivars where white rust is endemic, space for airflow, use drip irrigation, and rotate away from spinach.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Resistant varieties

    Where white rust turns up regularly in your area, choose a resistant variety at seed-buying time rather than planning to fight it on susceptible plants.Where Albugo occidentalis is endemic, notably the southern and south-central states, resistant cultivars are the anchor control; the cultural rungs support that choice rather than replace it.

  2. Crop rotation

    Move your spinach to a new spot each year so the disease does not carry over from an earlier infected planting.The pathogen survives on debris, so rotating away from former spinach ground denies it the carryover bridge into the next crop.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Give the plants room so air moves through and the leaves dry quickly. Cool, moist conditions are what let white rust ruin a crop fast.Infection rides leaf wetness under cool nights and warm days, so spacing that shortens the wet period works on the same weakness the watering rungs do.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil line and avoid wetting the leaves, since the disease spreads on wet foliage and splashing water.Splash- and wind-dispersed spores need free water on the leaf to infect, so drip irrigation in place of overhead removes the controllable half of that requirement.

  5. Garden sanitation

    Take off and destroy leaves with the white blisters as soon as you spot them, and clear spinach debris at season's end. As with downy mildew, stopping it early beats trying to cure it.Remove pustuled leaves and post-harvest debris; with chemical options limited for the home garden, sanitation and the other cultural rungs are the whole in-season toolkit.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Damping-off
D · 03
Symptoms Seeds that never come up, or seedlings that flop over at the soil line with a pinched, rotted stem and then die. It strikes in cold, wet soil.Poor stands from seed and pre- or post-emergence collapse of seedlings with water-soaked, pinched stems at the soil line, worst in cold, wet, poorly drained soil where germination is slow. Cause Soil fungi attack the seeds and tiny seedlings, especially when the soil is cold and soggy and the seeds are slow to come up. Spinach sown in cold wet ground is at risk.Soilborne Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium species attack germinating seed and seedlings; cold, saturated soil that slows emergence favors them. Organic treatment There is no cure for an affected seedling, so focus on prevention. Pull and discard collapsed seedlings.No cure once seedlings collapse; manage by prevention and remove affected plants. Prevention Do not sow into cold, soggy soil, plant at the right depth in well-drained ground, do not overwater, and use fresh seed so it comes up fast.Sow into well-drained soil when temperatures favor quick emergence, avoid overwatering, use fresh viable seed, and consider treated seed where damping-off is chronic.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Sound sowing practice

    Wait until the soil is no longer cold and wet, sow fresh seed at the right depth, and go easy on the watering. Seedlings that come up fast escape; slow ones sit in the danger zone.Everything here works through emergence speed: fresh viable seed, correct depth, soil warm enough for quick germination, and restrained watering all shorten the window in which the soil fungi can take the stand.

  2. Improve drainage

    Sow into well-drained ground. Cold, soggy soil is where damping-off strikes, so fix a wet bed before you plant, not after seedlings start collapsing.The soilborne Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium species behind damping-off thrive in saturated soil, so drainage work on heavy or low-lying ground removes their favored conditions before any seed goes in.

  3. Garden sanitation

    There is no saving a seedling once it flops over at the soil line, so pull collapsed ones and discard them rather than leaving them in the bed.Affected seedlings are unrecoverable; remove them promptly, and put the real effort into the prevention rungs above, since there is no cure once collapse begins.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Fusarium wilt
D · 04
Symptoms Older leaves yellow and wilt even though the soil is moist, and the wilting spreads up the plant, which is stunted and may die. It is worse in warm soil.Progressive yellowing and wilting from the lower leaves upward despite adequate soil moisture, with stunting and plant death; symptoms intensify as soil warms through the season. Cause A soil fungus infects the roots and clogs the plant's water pipes, so it wilts and yellows. It lives in the soil for years and is worse when the soil warms up.Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae, a soilborne vascular pathogen that persists for years and is favored by warm soil and acidic conditions; once established it limits where spinach can be grown. Organic treatment There is no cure once a plant is infected, so pull and destroy wilted plants. Put your effort into rotation and timing for next time.No effective cure; remove and destroy infected plants and manage the soilborne population by rotation and timing. Prevention Plant spinach in the cooler parts of the season, keep the soil near neutral (not acidic), and do not grow spinach in the same spot year after year. Resistant varieties help where it is a problem.Schedule the crop for the cool side of the season when soils are cooler, maintain a near-neutral pH, use long rotations away from spinach, and choose resistant cultivars where the wilt is established.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Resistant varieties

    Where this wilt is a known problem in your soil, resistant varieties help, so look for them at seed-buying time.Where F. oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae is established, resistant cultivars are the planting-time hedge; they help rather than solve, so run them alongside long rotation and scheduling spinach for the cool side of the season, since symptoms intensify as soil warms.

  2. Crop rotation

    Do not grow spinach in the same spot year after year. This fungus lives in the soil for years, so a long break from spinach in that bed is the point, not a one-year shuffle.The pathogen persists in soil for years, so only long rotations away from spinach work on the soilborne population; once established it limits where the crop can be grown at all.

  3. Garden sanitation

    There is no cure once a plant wilts from this disease, so pull infected plants and destroy them rather than leaving or burying them, then put your effort into rotation and timing for next season.Roguing wilted plants does not save the stand but removes infected tissue that feeds the soil population; management happens between seasons through rotation and timing, not within one.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 5 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Do not plant spinach, beets, or chard in the same spot year after year. Waiting at least 3 years between these related crops helps avoid the leafminer and soil diseases that build up in the ground.Rotate so spinach and its goosefoot relatives (beets, chard) do not return to the same ground for at least 3 years. The spinach leafminer overwinters as pupae in the soil and Fusarium wilt persists for years, so a long rotation away from the whole family is the core defense; deep spring cultivation also helps bury leafminer pupae.

Family
Goosefoot family (Amaranthaceae, formerly Chenopodiaceae)
Years between
3 years
in the same bed
Avoid following
Beets, Swiss chard, and spinach, which are all close relatives that share its pests and diseases.Beets, Swiss chard, and spinach itself (all goosefoot-family hosts of the spinach leafminer, Fusarium wilt, and the leaf-mold diseases).
Plant after
Legumes (peas, beans), brassicas, alliums (onion, garlic), cucurbits, or nightshades such as tomatoes.
Verified · 2 sources View
In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your spinach season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Time to thin your spinach Thin your spinach seedlings
Your spinach seedlings should be big enough to thin. Space them about 3 to 4 inches apart and eat the little ones you pull. Your spinach should have 3 to 4 true leaves now. Thin to 3 to 4 inches apart for full plants and eat the thinnings as baby spinach.
p
plant
Time to start picking spinach Start harvesting spinach
Your spinach leaves should be big enough to pick. Take the outer leaves or cut the whole plant about an inch above the soil so it can regrow. Your spinach leaves should be 3 to 6 inches and tender. Crop the outer leaves or cut the whole rosette above the crown, and pick in the cool morning.
p
plant
Warm, long days ahead: pick your spinach Lengthening days: beat the bolt
The days are getting long and warm, which makes spinach flower and turn bitter. Pick your spring spinach now while it is still good. Days are lengthening and warming, which triggers bolting in spinach. Harvest the spring crop promptly and clear bolting plants, since the leaves turn bitter once the stalk forms.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
June 29, 2026
Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
16 publications
Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
See all sources cited on this page
  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
  • NC State Extension ncsu_ext
  • Penn State Extension psu_ext
  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Spinach · plant.lifestyle