Grow spinach indoors all year long by following these simple gardening tips.
Hardy spinach plants are great for cool spring and fall gardens, but spinach has been known to wilt in the heat of summer and harsh winter weather, often killing the plants. But by growing spinach at home in pots, you can harvest spinach all year round.
Although spinach grows well outdoors in cool weather, there are many benefits to growing this crop indoors. Growing indoors not only allows you to grow spinach in the winter, but also helps prevent pests and insects. And of course, if you grow spinach on a windowsill, harvesting will be much easier.
Growing spinach indoors is in many ways similar to tending a garden at home. You need the right balance of light, water and some fertilizer. This guide will help you grow spinach any time of year in your kitchen.
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1. Choose the appropriate containers.
Spinach plants can grow in dense areas and do not need particularly deep soil, but choose pots at least 14 inches in diameter . A pot of this size can hold about 3-4 spinach plants. Clay pots and planters are an obvious choice for a home garden, but you can also grow spinach in bags. Just make sure the container you choose has plenty of drainage holes to prevent the soil from getting wet.
2. Use a high-quality soil mix.
If you are used to growing spinach outside, you may be tempted to use garden soil in your pots at home, but this is not a good idea. Garden soil does not drain well when added to growing containers. Instead, choose a rich, well-drained soil mix for your spinach plants and consider replacing it with a handful or two of compost or worm casting before planting.
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3. Choose a bright place.
Spinach doesn't need as much bright light as some other vegetables, so it's easy to grow indoors. However, spinach needs at least 4-6 hours of light daily to grow well and produce such delicious leaves. To get spinach enough light, place the plants in a sunny window or keep them under strong light.
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4. Follow landing instructions.
Spinach can be grown indoors from seedlings, but it is usually easier to start from seed. Seeds can be sown at any time of the year and can even be sown successively every few weeks. For proper growth, spinach seeds should be planted in half-inch deep planting holes about 2 inches apart.
5. Use a heating pad.
Although spinach grows well in cool weather, the seeds will not germinate if the temperature is too cold. This may not be a problem if you keep spinach indoors, but if you are growing spinach in a garage or other building, you may need to add a heating mat under the plant pots to speed up the germination process. Spinach seeds stored at 40 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit should germinate in about 5 days.
6. Water regularly.
After planting spinach seeds, they should be watered regularly to keep the soil moist, but never soggy. When the seeds are small and soft, you can water the pot from a bottle to avoid dropping the light seeds. When spinach sprouts and begins to grow, water the plants when the topsoil is dry and direct the water flow toward the soil line to keep the spinach leaves dry and disease-free.
7. Thin out the seedlings.
Spinach seedlings should be thinned out when they reach a few inches in height and have formed one or two sets of true leaves. The idea is to choose the healthiest plants and avoid overcrowded pots that can lead to stunted growth and plant diseases. Thin spinach shoots 3-5 inches apart. And feel free to use the removed shoots as edible side dishes and baby vegetables.
8. Avoid excessive heat.
If you grow spinach indoors during the winter, you don't have to worry too much about the plants overheating, although you should keep spinach away from heaters. However, if you grow spinach in the summer, you should protect the plants from the heat by moving them away from warm windows when the temperature rises. Remember, temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit will cause spinach plants to wilt.
9. Fertilization.
Indoor spinach requires less fertilizer than plants grown in the garden, but spinach will still produce more leaves if grown in rich soil. Planting spinach in a high-quality potting mix with compost is a good start, but you can still fertilize your spinach plants during the growing season. For optimal growth, use a balanced liquid organic fertilizer diluted in half and apply every 2-3 weeks from spring to fall.
10. Repeated vomiting.
Indoor spinach is ready to harvest 35-45 days after planting. You can either harvest whole spinach plants right away, or cut the old leaves off the outside of the plant and allow the new leaves to continue growing. Spinach will taste best if you pick the leaves while they are still tender, but the flavor of spinach begins to deteriorate when the plants begin to flower. When flowering, remove spinach plants and sow new seeds to keep indoor crops strong.
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