When is the best time to plant spinach?

Spinach is a commonly consumed green vegetable in daily life. It is native to Iran in West Asia, and later introduced to China. It is now widely cultivated throughout China. So when is the best time to plant spinach? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant spinach?

Spinach can be planted all year round, but spring and autumn sowing are the main seasons. Among them, autumn spinach is generally sown between August and September, while spring spinach is sown in early spring from February to March.

Spinach planting technology and management points

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Spinach is suitable for growing in areas with fertile soil and convenient irrigation and drainage. Areas with good water and fertilizer retention are more suitable for the growth of green vegetables, which is the basis for high spinach yields. After harvesting the vegetables planted previously, the dead leaves and rotten roots should be taken out of the field to prevent the occurrence of diseases. Sprinkle farmyard manure on the soil, then plow and harrow it to make flat or raised ridges in preparation for sowing.

2. Seed treatment

Spinach is usually planted by sowing seeds. When sowing in summer and autumn, soak the seeds in water for more than 12 hours a week before sowing, then store them in a place with an ambient temperature of only 4°C for 24 hours, and then germinate them in an environment with a temperature of 20-25°C. After the seeds germinate, they can be sown. Spring spinach does not require these treatments and can be sown directly.

3. Sowing method

Spinach can be sown either dry or wet. Dry sowing is to scatter the seeds first, then hoe or rake shallowly to make the seeds fall into the soil, then compact it, and finally water it. Wet sowing means watering the base first, and after the water has seeped in, you only need to sprinkle a thin layer of fine soil, then sow the seeds, and finally cover with soil.

4. Field management

Spinach has strong growth potential and can be left to grow on its own once it emerges. However, to ensure yield, thinning must be carried out when true leaves grow, and weeding can also be done in time during thinning. When 3-4 true leaves grow, you can water the plant with a thin layer of fertilizer. Do not fertilize it too concentratedly to avoid burning the roots and causing death.

5. Harvesting points

Spinach plants are 15-18 cm tall and can be harvested when the leaves are fully grown. 6-8 days before harvest, you can use 1 gram of gibberellin added to 40-100 kg of water to spray the plants, which will have a significant yield-increasing effect. Harvesting is carried out in batches. First, remove some of the large seedlings, and continue to fertilize the remaining weak seedlings. They can be harvested after they grow up.

In general, spinach planting and management are relatively simple, but the appropriate time and method should be selected based on local planting conditions, so that high-quality seedlings can be cultivated, which will grow fast and produce high yields in the later stage.