Depending on where you are in the world, the term spinach refers to different species, and in South Africa ‘True Spinach’ (Spinacia oleracea) and ‘Swiss chard’ (Beta vulgaris) are both commonly called “spinach”. There is a difference though, spinach is a cool season crop with a milder flavour than Swiss chard, which belongs to the beet family, has a more earthy flavour, and can be grown throughout the year.
Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, with a clean, crisp taste that is slightly sweet with a mild somewhat earthy undertone, true spinach is wonderful to eat raw, or cooked. Its subtle flavour profile allows it to pair well with most ingredients without overpowering them, making it a popular choice for salads and smoothies. The smooth leaf types are also great for freezing.
How long does spinach seed take to germinate?
Generally spinach seed will germinate within 5 to 7 days but times will differ slightly between the various varieties and you will need to check the back of your seed packets to get a better indication on these.
Can spinach be grown as a sprout?
Not all seeds make great sprouts and spinach is among these.
Can spinach be grown as a microgreen or baby leaf crop?
All spinach types can be grown as microgreens or baby leaf crops, and both growing styles are quick and easy ways of growing tasty, nutritious salad greens at home.
What are the advantages of growing your own microgreens and baby leaf spinach at home?
Growing your own 100% organic microgreen or baby leaf crops is not only sustainable but also satisfying, and you will no longer need to worry about availability, freshness, and price.
Spinach 'Matador' Picture courtesy Ball StraathofWhat is the difference between sprouts, microgreens and baby leaf crops?
Sprouts, microgreens, and baby greens are simply different stages of a plant’s life cycle, and the point at which they are harvested is what determines their name.
Sprouts
It all starts with a seed, and a seed is similar to a battery in that it stores energy in the form of starch until it is needed. When the seed takes up water the seed coat bursts and triggers the process of germination. First the seed sends out a root, followed by a shoot tip that will eventually grow the first set of leaves. Sprouts only take a couple of days before you can use them.
Microgreens
After the little sprout has used up most of the stored starch in the seed, it has just enough energy left to start growing its first set of leaves called “cotyledons”. These are like the plant’s baby leaves and they normally look very different from the leaves that will follow, called ‘true’ leaves. At this point of growth the plant moves the location of nutrient storage to its new baby leaves, and this is called the “microgreen” stage. Scientific evidence has shown that edible plants at this stage are at the peak of their nutritional value. In addition to nutrients, microgreens are also packed with so much flavour, and they only take slightly more time to develop than sprouts.
How long do spinach microgreens take to harvest?
Microgreens are harvested when they have one or two fully developed cotyledon leaves with signs of the emergence of a rudimentary pair of first true leaves. For spinach this is typically within 10 to 14 days.
Tips on growing spinach microgreens
As microgreens draw most of their energy requirements from the stored food reserves found in the seed itself rather than from the soil, and are harvested quickly, you will not need to use fertilisers. Nevertheless, some gardeners still prefer to add some worm castings or a little compost to the growing medium to improve water management in the soil and ensure vigorous, healthy seedlings overall. Because microgreens are harvested so quickly, it is also rare to see pest or disease issues, and their care is very basic.
Baby Leaf Greens
Microgreens will eventually lose their baby cotyledons, and at this stage the plant has started photosynthesis and begins to develop its first true leaves which resemble a smaller version of the adult foliage that you would expect. So baby greens are simply more fully developed microgreens, but still very far from being a completely mature plant. Baby greens generally have a milder flavour than microgreens and taste more similar to the adult plant. At this very young stage of growth the nutrients still remain concentrated within the small developing leaves, offering a wide range of health benefits.
How long do spinach baby greens take to harvest?
Spinach baby greens are harvested within 15 to 25 days.
Tips on growing baby leaf spinach
Because baby green leaf crops are allowed to develop further you will need to sow in a more nutritious growing medium with added compost or seedling soil, or alternatively you will have to fertilise. It’s amazing how much bigger they will get if given that little extra growing time, and although microgreens have been found to possess peak nutrition, baby greens are still highly nutritious and delicious.
Click here to read my free article “The ABC of Growing Healthy Microgreens at Home” It includes the equipment and growing medium you will need, and what you need to know about sowing density, watering etc. to grow healthy Microgreens, Baby Leaf Vegetables, and Herbs.
Spinach 'Viroflay' Picture courtesy Ball StraathofHow to grow spinach in the garden
Growing spinach varieties in the garden is easy if you understand their growth requirements.
When is the best time to grow spinach?
Spinach is a quick-growing, cool season crop that germinates very poorly, if at all, in hot soils. It is also very day length sensitive, and will bolt when temperatures reach 23°C or higher. However, there are varieties that tolerate heat better and are slower to bolt, and these can be used to extend the harvesting season.
Start sowing in late summer and autumn as the soil temperatures start to drop, or in early spring for a baby leaf crop. For a continuous supply of spinach, sow every 7 to 14 days.
What soil type does spinach require?
Spinach prefers fertile, well drained soils and high moisture levels.
How and when to harvest spinach?
Spinach has the best flavour if harvested when young, and depending on temperatures, mature plants should be ready to harvest in just 50 to 65 days. It can be harvested all at once, but spinach is also a great ‘cut and come again’ crop, and individual leaves can be harvested as required. Cut individual leaves from the outside in, leaving the central crown to grow on and produce more leaves. The entire crop will need to be harvested before the plants begin to flower.
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Baby Spinach Which spinach varieties are available in South Africa?
There are three basic types of spinach:
Savoy spinach
Savoy spinach has dark green crinkled leaves and grows ‘flatter’ compared to other spinach. It tends to be more cold-hardy, and becomes sweeter and crisper after a frost.
Flat-leaf (also called Smooth-leaf) spinach
Flat-leaf spinach grows more upright, and because the leaves are flat, they are easier to wash. This type is often grown for canned and frozen spinach, as well as soups, baby foods, and processed foods.
Semi-savoy
Semi-savoy is a hybrid between Flat-leaf and Savoy spinach, with leaves that are not as crinkled as Savoy yet not as smooth as the Flat-leaf varieties. It is grown for both fresh marketing as well as processing.
It's recommended to use high-quality seeds from a reputable source to ensure a healthy and abundant harvest.
Spinach ‘Monstrous Viroflay’
This Spinach is also known as "Monstrueux de Viroflay" translated as, “the monster spinach of Viroflay”, a city in France. This gourmet spinach remains a popular and well-known open pollinated French heirloom that dates back to 1866, and is in the parent line of many modern day hybrids. Viroflay spinach is the most commonly grown spinach in South Africa. It is a vigorous variety that prefers cooler weather, and produces an abundant harvest of nice smooth, large, dark green leaves, and no matter how big it gets, the leaves stay tender and delicious, with lower levels of oxalic acid than other varieties.
Spinach Baby Leaf 'Lazio F1'
Baby Leaf is a superb modern variety with smooth rounded, dark green leaves, and is most likely the one you find most often in the supermarkets, and in salad mixes. It is resistant to downy mildew, and because it is slow to bolt, the harvesting season is extended. Sow directly in garden beds or in containers from late summer through winter and spring, and if you live in a cooler region you can even squeeze in a final crop in early summer.
Spinach 'Matador'
Matador spinach is a really fast growing open pollinated variety that has been a gardener’s favourite since Victorian times. It produces a generous harvest of crinkly, deep green leaves, and because it is slow to bolt in heat and even in dryer conditions, the harvest can be extended.
Spinach ‘Black Magic’
Black Magic is an open pollinated Italian variety that remains popular with gardeners because it produces an abundant harvest of large, dark green, true Savoy leaves that are rich in flavour. It is best as a cool season crop, but as it is slower to bolt in warm weather, is good for extending the growing season.
Spinach ‘Lorelei’
Lorelei is an ancient treasure with a rich history which claims that it was grown in the garden of Emperor Charlemagne; a medieval emperor who ruled much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. This European spinach variety spreads outwards and produces thick, flat and smooth triangular shaped leaves. Lorelei is a mid to late variety that is slow to bolt, with good resistance to heat.
Spinach 'Matador' (Spinacea oleracea)
Matador is a really fast growing open pollinated variety which is a prolific producer of smooth, dark green, oval shaped leaves that are soft and tender with a delicious flavour. It is an excellent early all round variety that is very slow to bolt.
Spinach ‘Bloomsdale Longstanding’
Bloomsdale Long Standing is one of the most loved heirloom spinach varieties since 1925 for good reasons. Its beautiful thick-textured, crinkled deep green leaves have a rich, nutty flavour, and it is a large, spreading spinach with stiff stems that keep the leaves off the ground, making harvesting simple. It also gives a continuous yield and is a classic market variety. It holds up better than other varieties of spinach in warm weather and is slower to bolt, so use it to extend the growing season.
Spinach ‘America’
America was an "All-America Selection" winner in 1952, bred by N.V. Sluis en Groot, Enkhuizen, Holland, as a stabilized cross between 'Bloomsdale Dark Green' and 'Viking'. It still remains immensely popular with gardeners for its high yields of thick, dark green crinkly leaves that are tender and well-flavoured. America is a long-standing Bloomsdale-type that is suitable for canning, freezing, and eating fresh. Provided it is watered regularly it withstands hot weather well without bolting, and can be succession sown for a long cropping period.
Spinach ‘Viking’
Viking spinach is a reliable heirloom variety that won an ‘All America’ Selections Award in 1935, and still remains popular today for its high yield and the delicious flavour of its large glossy, savoy type, dark green leaves. Viking is also a good variety for freezing.
Spinach ‘Winter Giant’
This classic heirloom, as its name suggests, is a very hardy winter variety that tolerates frost well, and produces rather large dark green leaves through autumn, winter and spring, with a good flavour and smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Note that this variety will bolt as soon as the weather warms up in early summer.
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I hope this article has inspired you to grow your own spinach at home
