How To Grow Spinach

By | November 24, 2013

Silver beet, Swiss Chard, spinach – what’s the difference?. Learn how to grow spinach for a great nutrient packed vegetable for your meals

how to grow spinachOne of the most rewarding crops to grow in your home vegetable garden is Swiss chard spinach. To many it is known as silverbeet. As this second name implies, swiss chard is related to the beet family.

True spinach has a much finer leaf and is a cool season vegetable, while swiss chard (silver beet) can be grown almost all year round and has a tougher leaf and is a much bigger plant.

The picture alongside this text is one of our favourite types to grow – “Bright Lights” chard with its brightly coloured stems to add splashes of color to your veggie garden.

How to grow spinach – planting

Sow seeds directly into freshly dug over, composted soil in drills. Space the rows about 10 cm apart. When the seeds germinate thin them to the strongest seedlings.

You can also start them in seedling trays if your weather is not suitable, for instance at the beginning of spring in snow areas.

If you sow directly, make sure you keep the soil damp until germination.

Long term care & harvesting

Slugs and snails love new seedlings and you need to be diligent about protecting your spinach seedlings.

Once the seeds have germinated, carefully pull out the weaker seedlings allowing the stronger ones to grow completely. Swiss chard spinach is a come and come again crop because you cut off the outer leaves and it will continue to produce leaves from the centre. Therefore make sure you do not uproot the whole plant when picking leaves.

Keep the area around your swiss chard well mulched with a layer of grass clippings or compost, or even straw.

Quick Notes

When to plant: Almost all year unless in a snow area.

How many plants: 12 – 15 plants.

How long to harvest: Once leaves are big enough.

Successive planting: 6 weeks

EASY SPINACH RECIPE

True spinach can be used raw in salads or in wraps.Swiss chard spinach makes a wonderful quiche. Mix together 1 tub of cream, 1 tub of cream cheese, 8 eggs, and 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.

Steam about 20 leaves of spinach that has been washed with their stems removed.

Chop finely and mix with the egg mixture. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco and nutmeg.

Pour into a quiche dish and bake for about 40 mins on a medium heat. Serve with homemade bread and butter or a salad.

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