Eating Garden

How to Grow Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

A fast, cool-season leaf crop that tastes best before warm, long days make it flower.

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At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

    1 of 5 · More shovels, more care

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Thirsty

  • First harvest

    37 to 45 days

    from sowing

  • Growing in a pot

    Suitable for pots

  • Plant spacing

    2 to 4 in apart

More about this plant

Sow spinach in cool soil, thin the seedlings and keep moisture steady. Pick outer leaves early and sow small batches because spring heat ends the best harvest quickly.

  • Grows for one season.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • Fine in a small space.
  • A good one to grow together with children.
  • Ready to pick quickly.

Make it your plan

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What are you starting with?
Where will it grow?

Your plan, starting Nov 10, 2026

Estimated harvest: Dec 17, 2026 – Dec 25, 2026. Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Estimated first harvest

Dec 17, 2026 – Dec 25, 2026

Counted from sowing. Variety, plant age, weather, and care can change this estimate.

Pick leaves as soon as they are large enough to eat and before a tall flower stalk forms.

Cool weather below about 75F. Young plants tolerate light frost, but warm, long days make spinach bolt and turn bitter.

First, gather a few things

  • Spinach seeds
  • A draining pot with room for the roots
  • Potting mix that drains well
  • A watering can or hose

Start or plant it

Follow the steps for the way you chose to start.

  1. Start here

    1. Sow in cool weather

    Plant about two to three weeks before the last spring frost, or again for fall after summer heat eases.

  2. 2. Cover seed lightly

    Sow half an inch deep and keep the soil gently moist while seed wakes up.

Water

Check the soil first. Heat, rain, and pots can change how often this plant needs water.

  1. 1. Check before you water

    Feel the top inch of soil. Water when it starts to dry, before the roots dry out.

  2. 2. Water the roots

    Water slowly at the base until the soil feels moist a few inches down. For a pot, water until a little runs out of the drainage holes.

    Give about one inch of water a week, and up to two inches in dry conditions. Keep moisture steady and check sandy soil more often.

Need help judging moisture? Read how to check the soil and water the roots.

If the plant looks unhappy

  • Too dry

    Leaves stay small, taste bitter and may bolt sooner.

    If the soil is dry, water deeply and check it again tomorrow.

  • Too wet

    Soggy soil can slow roots and increase leaf disease.

    If the soil is wet, wait before watering again and check that excess water can drain away.

While it grows

Check on your plant and do these jobs as they come up.

  1. 1. Thin to three inches

    Give leaves room for air and light. Eat the small thinnings.

Looking after it

  • FeedingAn occasional feed helpsFollow a soil test. Fast, steady growth gives the best leaves, but extra fertilizer cannot fix hot weather.
  • ThinningThin seedlings to 3 in apartCrowded seedlings stay small. Pull the weaker ones and keep the strongest.
  • MulchA light mulch holds moisture, cools the soil and slows weeds.

Pick and store it

Use the plant's signs of readiness, then harvest gently.

  1. 1. Check if it is ready

    Pick leaves as soon as they are large enough to eat and before a tall flower stalk forms.

  2. 2. Pick it

    Take the older outer leaves and leave the center growing, or cut the whole plant about two inches above the soil.

  3. 3. Keep it fresh

    Cool the leaves quickly after harvest and refrigerate them. Use within a few days for best quality; carefully cooled spinach may last about a week.

More picking tips

  1. 1. Pick outer leaves

    Harvest usable leaves and leave the center to make more.

  2. 2. Harvest when a stalk risesOptional

    Once bolting starts, pick the remaining leaves because warm weather will make them bitter.

Common problems

    Common mistakes

    • Planting too late in spring

      Warm, long days make spinach flower quickly. Sow while weather is still cool.

    • Skipping thinning

      Crowded plants stay small and compete for water. Thin to about three inches.

    • Letting the bed dry

      Water stress slows leaf growth and can make the crop bitter.

    Companion plants for spinach

    Some of this is measured in trials and some is long-standing garden practice. Each note below says which it is.

    Good together

    Extension programs recommend this pairing:

    • TomatoSow spinach early, then set tomato transplants into the same bed; the spinach is picked as the tomatoes fill in.Recommended by extension programs
    How to choose companion plants

    Questions about spinach

    Tap a question to see the answer.

    Will spinach grow where I live?

    Cool weather below about 75F. Young plants tolerate light frost, but warm, long days make spinach bolt and turn bitter.

    • LightFull sun
    • ShadeCopes with a little shade
    • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring or fall.
    • FrostSurvives a light frost
    • HeatStruggles in heat

    What soil is best for spinach?

    • Soil pH6.5 to 8.0A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
    • Soil it likesLoam, Sandy
    • DrainageWants well drained ground
    • RichnessWants rich ground

    Use fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Finished compost helps leaves grow quickly.

    Use a soil test before adding fertilizer. Do not use fresh manure or weed-and-feed products.

    Before changing your soil, learn how to test soil acidity and understand the result.

    When and how deep do I plant spinach?

    When to plant

    Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

    • Sow outdoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frostSow two to three weeks before the last spring frost, as soon as the soil can be worked.
    • Sow outdoors 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frostSow a fall crop about two months before the first fall frost, after the strongest summer heat eases.
    • Ready to pick about 37 to 45 days from sowing.
    • For a steady supply, sow a few more every 10 days.

    What you need

    • How to start itFrom seed or a young plantYou can sow it straight into the ground, or start it indoors first.
    • How deep to plant0.5 in
      Planting depth: 0.5 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
    • How far apart2 to 4 inLeave 12 to 18 in between rows.
      Leave 2 to 4 in between plants and 12 to 18 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

    What happens to spinach through the year?

    Measured from your first fall frost, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

    1. Sow outdoors

      8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost

    2. Sow outdoors

      2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost

    How do I give spinach a better start?

    Simple ways to help your spinach grow, from the soil up.

    • Start with good soil

      Use fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Finished compost helps leaves grow quickly.

    • Give the soil a cover

      A light mulch holds moisture, cools the soil and slows weeds.

    • Make room to grow

      Thin seedlings to 3 inches apart.

    • Feed with care

      Follow a soil test. Fast, steady growth gives the best leaves, but extra fertilizer cannot fix hot weather.

    Use a soil test before adding fertilizer. Do not use fresh manure or weed-and-feed products.

    Why did my spinach make a flower stalk?

    Warm weather and long days cause bolting. Harvest the crop and sow again in cooler fall weather.

    Can spinach handle frost?

    Young plants can handle light frost around 32F. A cover gives extra protection in harder cold.

    Can I harvest spinach more than once?

    Yes. Pick outer leaves and leave the center, or cut above the growing point so new leaves can form.

    How often should I sow spinach?

    A small row every one to two weeks gives a steadier spring harvest until hot weather arrives.

    Helpful gardening guides

    Dig into the next thing you need, from starting a garden to getting watering right.

    Starting your first garden? Choose your space and get it ready, then plan local planting times.

    Browse all gardening guides

    Also filed under: Vegetables

    Where this came from

    Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

    Sources & review dates
    Timing
    University of Minnesota Extension, Growing spinach and Swiss chard in home gardens · checked 2026-09-15
    Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, Spinach · checked 2026-09-21 · Days to maturity: spinach should be ready to harvest in about 37 to 45 days after planting.
    University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, Time of planting · checked 2026-09-24 · Where frost is rare, cool-season crops are timed to months averaging 55°F to 75°F.
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