Features of growing and caring for spinach. Growing spinach in the country: a useful product for your own consumption When to sow spinach

Spinach is a vegetable crop that contains in the leaves a lot of useful vitamins that are indispensable for the functioning of the human body. Therefore, gardeners who decide to switch to healthy eating, sooner or later wonder how to plant a plant. In order for the planting of spinach to be successful, and the bed soon covered with juicy rosettes, you need to know everything about the specifics of growing vegetables in the garden.

Features of growing spinach

Better planting in early spring or towards autumn, since at this time the temperature is kept within + 20- + 25 C. Spinach is sown closer to summer, however, in order for the bushes to grow quickly, plantings have to be carefully looked after: often watered and shaded from the burning sun. If you do not provide greenery comfortable conditions, the plant will begin to stem. In the case when the desire to constantly have fresh greens on the table overpowers difficulties, spinach is planted every 15-20 days.

Note! Unlike most garden crops, spinach cannot be fertilized with fresh organic fertilizers during its growth. Such top dressing worsens the taste of greens and, at a high dosage, can burn the roots of the bush.

When to plant spinach in open ground: planting dates

Since spinach is a cold hardy plant, spring planting in open ground produced immediately after the ground thaws. As for the temperature, the sowing of spinach begins when it gets warmer to + 4-5 C outside. Depending on the climatic conditions of the region, as a rule, the crop is sown in the calendar period from March to June.

To harvest useful leaves in the fall, the seeds are sown in mid-August.

In autumn before winter, spinach is planted on the site in September and October. The plant will release small leaves, winter safely, and in the spring, 2 weeks after the snow melts, the leaves are ready for use.

By lunar calendar in 2018 auspicious days for planting spinach in open ground are:

in March - from 8 to 11, 20 and 24;
in April - from 7 to 11, 22, 23, 25, 26;
in May - from 8 to 11, from 20 to 25;
in June - from 5 to 9, from 19 to 25.

Unfavorable:

in March - from 1st to 3rd, 16th and 30th;
in April - from the 15th to the 17th, the 29th and 30th;
in May - from 14 to 16, from 28 to 30;
in June - from 12 to 14, from 28 to 30.

How to plant spinach in open ground: preparation and planting

The desire to get spinach in the garden can simply disappear after a few unsuccessful plantings. To prevent this from happening, you need to know all the requirements for growing this vegetable crop.

How to choose a landing spot

It is better to plant spinach in lighted areas where water does not stagnate. To harvest as early as possible, the plant is placed on the southern slopes, which are protected from cold winds.

If, apart from the lowland, there is nowhere to plant bushes, the culture is sown on ridges, which are fenced with hard rock boards. Due to root system plants are short, the mound can be small.

Since spinach is compatible with most garden crops, there is practically no need to consider predecessors and neighbors when choosing. The only thing worth paying attention to is how the previous crop was fertilized - the more top dressing was made last year, the better for spinach. These rules apply to all cultivated plants, except for beets, as plants are subject to the same diseases and pests.

What soil is needed and how to prepare it

Spinach loves to grow in nutritious, loose soils. In this way, the best soils for planting a plant, the seeds are sandy and loamy soil, the acidity of which is 6.5-7 units. If the environment at the site is acidic, dolomite flour or organic matter is added to the soil. It is impossible to lime the soil, because the plant does not grow well after that. To improve the structure of heavy clay soils, rotted manure is first applied.

In the case when the soil meets the requirements, proceed to prepare the site for planting. Apply to the soil in autumn mineral fertilizers high in potassium and phosphorus. If desired, half the dose of nitrogen is added, and the rest is embedded in the soil in spring. Instead of purchased mixtures, the soil can be filled with compost or rotted manure. Consumption of organic matter per 1 sq.m. beds - 6-7 kg.

If the soil on the site is poor, then immediately before sowing per 1 sq.m. area contribute 5 g of phosphorus, 7-9 g of nitrogen, 10-12 g of potassium.

Important! Spinach leaves have the ability to accumulate nitrates, so an excessive amount of nitrogen should not be added to the crop.

How to prepare seeds

To speed up the emergence of seedlings, planting material soaked in warm water. If the seeds of many crops need several hours of soaking, then spinach seeds are kept in water for 24-48 hours. This feature is due to the fact that the planting material is covered with a hard shell through which moisture is difficult to absorb. Place the container for germination in a warm place and periodically change the water. At the end of the period, spinach seeds taken out of the water are slightly dried and sown in open ground.

Direct fit

The first thing to do before planting spinach seeds in open ground is to loosen the soil with a rake, and then level it. If the landing will be made on the ridges, an embankment is created at the chosen place and fenced with improvised materials. On the prepared bed, rows are made with a wooden plank 2 cm long. The optimal distance between rows is 15-20 cm, and between plants - 7-10 cm. Seed consumption for sowing 1 sq.m. area - 4-5 g.

If the bushes are planted too densely, the plants will develop more slowly. In order to be sure that enough plants will grow in the garden and the place will not be empty, you can reduce the step between the bushes in the rows. However, if the seed germination is 100%, the plantings will have to be thinned out. The soil in the recess is watered with warm water, the seeds are laid out. Then the crops are carefully covered with a rake, while slightly crushing the soil.

To reduce the evaporation of moisture and slow down the growth of weeds, the bed is mulched with hay, dry leaves, chopped straw. If the landing is done correctly, and the weather turned out to be favorable, the first shoots will appear after 2 weeks.

Video: how to sow spinach - timing

How to care for spinach after planting

In order for plants to give a good harvest, they need to provide comfortable conditions for growth. What is the care of spinach after planting?

Watering

The soil on which the greens grow should be constantly wet, but in no case swampy. Due to the constant overflow, the plants do not grow well and after a while they are affected by root rot.

It is especially important to water spinach during hot weather, as stemming begins due to insufficient moisture. Water the bushes 2-3 times a week. Water consumption per 1 sq. m beds - 3 l.

top dressing

Leaves of plants that are deficient chemical elements, gradually turn into a different color or die off.

The fertilizers chosen for feeding spinach must be applied strictly at the dose recommended by the manufacturer, otherwise the excess of nutrients will provoke premature bolting.

Important! It is impossible to feed greens during growth with fresh organic matter, as it distorts the taste of the leaves.

Weeding and loosening

To grow even the most unpretentious culture, you need to pull out weeds as necessary. As you know, these plants suck out a lot of nutrients from the soil and compact the soil, which adversely affects the state of the crop, and, accordingly, the yield. In the case when the distance between shoots is much less than 7-10 cm, the extra bushes are removed. To reduce stress on surrounding bushes, water the bed sparingly after thinning.

The first time the soil is loosened when the seedlings are 2-3 days old. To do this, gently destroy the formed crust with a rake, thereby improving soil aeration. In the future, loosening is carried out after each watering or rain.

Shelter in the heat

Because spinach does not tolerate summer heat, in July, when the air temperature often exceeds +26 C, plantings need to be shaded. To cool the soil and bushes from overheating, a small tent is installed over the spinach plantation or the bed is covered with a special shading net.

Important! It is impossible to grow succulent leaves without abundant watering and shelter construction. Under the influence of high temperature and lack of water, the leaves become hard and tasteless.

Pests and diseases of spinach

The tender leaves are enjoyed by aphids, mining flies and naked slugs. Do not mind eating greens and snails. Spinach growing in a thickened state suffers from downy mildew. Bushes become infected with spotting and root rot.

Because to process the greens chemicals it is impossible, it is better to try to prevent the appearance of pathogenic microorganisms. To protect plantings from damage, you need to properly care for them: water, loosen, weed. In order to prevent powdery mildew, bushes are planted at a sufficient distance. Also, for planting, it is recommended to choose spinach varieties with high immunity to all kinds of diseases.

When to harvest and how to store

In order for spinach leaves to be tender and tasty, they need to be harvested on time. If you delay the recommended time, the leaves will become stiff and lose their original taste. Harvesting spinach from bushes planted in spring begins 8-10 weeks after the emergence of seedlings. Spinach planted in summer is cut 2 weeks later. Regarding the time of day, then cut off the sockets better in the morning after they dry out from watering.

You can determine whether spinach is ready for harvesting by the type of bush - you can harvest greens immediately after the formation of 5-6 leaves on the plant, which are shown 30-40 days after the appearance of seedlings.

Spinach is harvested by cutting individual leaves or a whole rosette. The plant is also uprooted. Before putting the uprooted plants into containers, the rhizome is washed, trying not to splatter the leaves. Then the washed part is blotted paper towel and placed upside down in a box.

Important! It is impossible to harvest spinach immediately after watering or rain: wet leaves rot shortly after cutting.

For storage, spinach is placed in the upper section of the refrigerator. Since fresh leaves are stored on average for 1-2 weeks, they are dried, frozen or canned for the winter.

If you carefully understand the agrotechnical requirements, planting spinach will not cause difficulties even for an amateur gardener. All that an unpretentious culture needs for normal growth is a sufficient amount of moisture and fertile soil.

Video: all about growing spinach in open field in the country

Thanks to young leaves, rich in vitamins and minerals, the popularity of spinach has long and steadily increased throughout the world. It is difficult to find a plant as useful and unpretentious as spinach, which can be grown and cared for in the open field by beginner gardeners.

Spinach is a fast growing vegetable crops. From the moment of sowing to the collection of the first batch of leaves, 30-40 days pass. At the same time, the plant tolerates cold well, does not require painstaking care. It is not surprising that during the warm period in most regions of the country you can get not one, but several crops. This property of the plant is used by both summer residents and large crop farms.

However, when learning to grow spinach outdoors, you need to know that this is a short-day plant. When the duration of daylight exceeds 14 hours, spinach stops growing leaves, and forms a peduncle. These plants are no longer used for food.

In order to pamper yourself and loved ones with healthy and tasty greens for as long as possible, you need to choose the varieties that are most resistant to flowering and plant spinach in early spring, as well as from the second half of July to get an autumn harvest.

Planting and caring for spinach outdoors in spring

You can grow spinach through seedlings obtained at home or by sowing seeds directly into the ground. The second method is used more often, and due to the cold resistance of the plant, the first spinach seeds fall into the soil as soon as it thaws well.

V middle lane it takes place in mid-April. If spring weather does not indulge in warmth, crops can be covered with non-woven material, under which the sprouts can withstand frosts down to -8 ° C.

To facilitate pecking and protect against infections, spinach seeds are kept in a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate for 12 to 18 hours before sowing, and then dried until they become free-flowing, as before.

Spinach is sown to a depth of 1.5 to 3 cm. So that the seeds after watering do not turn out to be much deeper, after embedding the ground on the beds is rolled up. Leave at least 30 cm between individual rows, and 5–8 cm between seeds. This will allow the plant to form a lush rosette and simplify the care of spinach when grown outdoors.

If the first sowing occurs in April, then the last summer sowing is carried out at the end of June. Conveyor plantings with an interval of 3-4 weeks will help not to lack fresh greenery. From the last ten days of July, crops are resumed and carried out until mid-August, and in the southern regions even until mid-September. Smooth lines of greenery on the beds appear 10–14 days after sowing.

Taking advantage of the frost resistance of seeds and the early maturity of spinach, it is also planted before winter. The seeds are planted in the ground in October, and in the spring, immediately after the snow melts on the beds, the shoots of this useful and unpretentious plant will appear friendly.

The success of growing spinach largely depends on the right site and preliminary soil preparation. The plant prefers open, well-lit beds with aerated, slightly acidic soil containing many nutrients.

To increase the return on planting in the open field and caring for spinach in the spring, autumn processing of the ridges will help:

they are dug deep;
contribute, if necessary for deoxidation, dolomite flour;
the soil is mixed with fertilizers at the rate of 15 grams of potassium salts and 30 grams of superphosphate per meter of area;
when digging add humus or manure.

In the spring, on poor soils, the beds are additionally fertilized with nitrogen, adding 20 grams of urea per meter. Dense soil is mixed with sand and peat. This will simplify the subsequent care of spinach when grown outdoors.

Outdoor spinach care

Caring for spinach is not too burdensome and consists of regular watering, weeding and loosening the soil between rows. While the plants are small, it is important to prevent the formation of a dense crust that interferes with the formation of rosettes and the penetration of moisture.

At the stage of 2-3 leaves, the plants are thinned out. If the seedlings are carefully removed, they can be transplanted by filling in the gaps in other places in the garden.

Watering spinach should be plentiful and frequent. In order not to harm the plantings, sprinklers are used. At the same time, up to 10 liters of water are consumed per meter of area, which allows you to carefully and deeply saturate the soil with moisture.

Whatever the spinach variety, when grown outdoors, planting care necessarily includes protecting plants from the scorching rays of the sun. When the air temperature rises above 26 ° C, the beds are hidden under nonwoven fabric or use other shading methods. If this measure is neglected, the risk of the appearance of flower stalks increases, the leaves lose their juiciness and coarsen.

With proper preparation of the beds and sufficient nutrition, spinach grows rapidly and after 2-3 weeks gives the first greener leaves to the table. If growth is inhibited, the leaf plates are small, the rosette is poorly formed, it is obvious that the plants need to be fed with nitrogen fertilizer. The granules must be buried deep into the soil by 2–5 cm, and then the beds are watered.

Unlike vegetables and berry crops, growing greens is a completely untroubled and enjoyable activity. And if you know how to plant spinach correctly, then its crop can be harvested almost all year round.

Requirements for growing conditions

Spinach is a cold-resistant crop and even recovers after small frosts, so it can be grown not only in summer. Spinach is also a rather early ripening green and appears one of the first on our table in May, and if it is planted with seedlings, then even earlier. In addition, spinach grows well next to most garden plantings, which means that there is a place for him in any area.

Spinach is cold tolerant and even recovers after a light frost.

A small overview of popular varieties:

Virofle - early ripening, from shoots to harvest takes up to 20 days. Bushes grow up to 30 cm in diameter, tender, greenish- yellow color. The disadvantage is that it quickly expels the arrow.
Gaudri - the harvest can be harvested after 18 days and within a month. Suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground. Rosettes about 25 cm.
Krepysh is mid-season, the aging period is from 25 to 30 days. A large harvest can be expected with regular watering, flower steles are released late.
Giant - an early and very productive variety. Two weeks after germination, you can collect the first greens, and this despite the fact that the sockets of such spinach can grow from 15 to 50 cm. An ideal variety for thermal processing and canning.
Matador - perhaps the most common spinach variety, due to early ripening and abundant fatty leafy greens with excellent taste. It is planted both through seedlings and in open ground from spring to late autumn. Blooms late.

Spinach is best sown in sunny areas. Any soil is suitable, with the exception of only clay and with a high level of acidity. As for humidity, regular watering is necessary, it is on this that the yield of spinach beds often depends.

Now, having decided on the basic growing conditions, it is worth considering several ways: planting seedlings, sowing in open ground in early spring or before winter.

Video about properties and cultivation

Through seedlings

Early greens will provide you with a seedling method of growing. To do this, in late March-early April, spinach seeds are sown in boxes, plastic or paper cups filled with prepared soil. The seeds are not deeply buried, it is enough to cover them with 1 cm of moist soil and compact it a little so that it is easier for the emerging roots to take root in the ground. After that, it is recommended to cover the containers with a transparent film or a piece of glass and put them in a warm place (for example, on a radiator) so that the “greenhouse” climate accelerates the germination of seedlings.

Early greens will provide you with a seedling method of growing

After the appearance of the first sprouts, the shelter is removed, and the seedlings are rearranged on the southern or southeastern window sill, providing maximum illumination. Given the tolerance of spinach to the cold, it can be grown on a loggia, balcony or veranda, which is especially convenient if all the windows are already occupied by growing peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Just remember to water the crops regularly.

Seedlings are planted in open ground when the soil warms up a little and the sun begins to warm. After transplanting and watering, you can put arcs on top and cover the bed with non-woven agrofiber in order to protect the transplanted plants from intense sunlight at first and somehow “smooth out” night and day air temperature fluctuations.

Sowing in open ground or in a greenhouse

The best option for obtaining early greens is sowing spinach seeds in greenhouses. The timing of sowing in this case depends on several indicators, including:

From the climatic features of your region, including the spring weather of the current year.
From the quality and arrangement of the greenhouse. Obviously, in heated greenhouses, with artificial lighting, you can grow vegetables at least all year round. On sunny spring days in glass greenhouses, the air warms up faster and keeps the temperature longer at night. Practically they are not inferior to them in these indicators and modern designs from polycarbonate. But a budget option film shelter will not retain heat well, especially if there are frequent frosts at night. In an effort to somewhat improve such designs, some gardeners use the densest film, and the roof of the greenhouse is covered with two layers, thus creating air layer for better heat retention.
From the varietal characteristics of seeds.

On sunny spring days in glass greenhouses, the air warms up faster and keeps the temperature longer at night

Usually, work in greenhouses begins if the air in it warms up enough during the daytime. These conditions are quite suitable for the germination of spinach. In addition, it is recommended to generously water the hole before sowing. hot water, wait until it is completely absorbed, sow the seeds and cover with a 1.5-2 cm layer of soil. From above, the rows are covered with a piece of agrofibre, which will help to maintain both heat and the required level of humidity. After the appearance of the first shoots, the shelter is removed. Similarly, work is carried out in open ground.

In early spring, in the garden, at the same time as planting radishes, lettuce and onions on greens, spinach seeds are also sown. In this growing method, the main condition for a successful harvest is to provide moisture. Therefore, even during sowing, the grooves or holes are pre-watered, especially if the soil is dry. This will help to soften the fairly dense shell of the seed faster, and subsequently provide the emerging plants with moisture. Once spinach is established, it needs frequent watering, especially on warm and sunny days.

Spinach usually sprouts together and at the same time, so if you want to extend its harvest period, sow it gradually, at intervals of 7-10 days. So you have for a long time there will be young greenery. If you need to save space on the plot, spinach can be sown as a thickener, for example, between beans, tomatoes, dill, radishes or carrots. Thus, by the time the main crops have grown, you will have already harvested spinach.

Video about growing spinach, lettuce and basil

autumn sowing

Experienced gardeners know how many worries spring brings, so they try to do some work from the fall. So, many cold-resistant crops can be sown under winter, for example, carrots, garlic, radishes, sorrel and, of course, spinach. The advantages of such plantings are obvious: there is enough time in autumn, there is a lot of free space on the site, and most importantly, the soil is saturated with moisture both during sowing and during spring growth.

Many people worry that green shoots that have risen may die in winter, but fears are in vain - as soon as the snow melts and the April sun warms in the spring, spinach plantings will quickly recover and delight you with the first greenery from your own garden.

This culture combines the main characteristics for a gardener-gardener: a healthy and tasty leafy vegetable, while being completely unpretentious in care. Before planting the plant, prepare the soil.

In order to grow this vegetable, it is not necessary to cook and isolate large space Location on. The smallest area will be enough for plants, for these purposes a flower bed in the garden, which spinach will decorate with its dark green foliage, may well be suitable.

For successful cultivation and abundant fruiting of spinach leafy greens, enriched and loose soil is needed. And the main condition for favorable cultivation is considered high level soil air and water permeability.

Loamy soil is considered fertile for planting, while a dense mixture with an earthen crust is absolutely unsuitable for growing spinach. The acidity of the earth is one of the important factors affecting the volume of the vegetable crop.

The best indicator is the neutral level of acidity of the soil mixture. In the spring, before planting, the area is cultivated for sowing crops.

If we talk about the history of the site where it is planned to plant seeds of leafy greens, then the following are considered favorable predecessors: cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus, beans, lentils. For planting a leafy vegetable, it is necessary to allocate an area with abundant access to sunlight.

From the video you will learn how to sow spinach.

Since spinach matures quickly, the fertilizers to be applied must be efficient and act quickly. For these purposes, at the beginning of March, urea in granules should be scattered over the area selected for planting the crop.

The next step in fertilizing the land will be adding humus to the area where the seeds are planned to be planted.

There is also a method of autumn preparation of a site for growing spinach in the open field, which is used by many gardeners. To do this, in the fall, potassium and phosphate fertilizers, together with humus or rotted manure, for each square meter future plot for sowing. This enrichment of the land is carried out with simultaneous digging of the soil.

If a leafy vegetable is planted in an area that does not contain black soil. Before sowing, the following mineral fertilizers should be applied: 15 g of potassium, 7 g of phosphorus, 10 g of nitrogen. The dosage of the components is calculated per 1 m2. Given that spinach leaves tend to accumulate nitrates, it is not worth using a nitrogen-containing fertilizer in the spring.

How to grow spinach in the garden? Most often it is grown from seed. Before planting spinach, prepare its seeds for planting. And you need to do this correctly, otherwise you may not wait for the long-awaited shoots.

Seeds are soaked for several days in warm water, after which they are blotted, dried and sown on the site. The crop is sown either in beds or in rows. The first option is optimal for planting on a site with heavy, dense soil, and the second for a more airy and favorable one.

Spinach planting material (seeds) is deepened 2.5-3.5 cm deep into the soil, leaving row spacing at 30 cm.

Since spinach is a cold-resistant crop, it is advisable to start the first crops immediately after the snow melts, that is, this is already possible even at a temperature of +4 °C. Under these conditions, the seeds germinate quite successfully.

The method of growing spinach is identical to radishes, so very often these plants grow with each other.

At best development events, the first harvest from young leaves will actually be harvested after 30-40 days from pecking the first sprouts.

Spinach planting is carried out from mid-April to mid-May, but of course, it all depends on the climate and geographical location of the region.

If we take into account the need of the plant for moisture, then late landings, in dry soil, will not bring proper results. Heat and dry weather is contraindicated for this culture. To this end, and use the principle of the sooner the better.

When the soil for sowing is already ready, in order to obtain a constant harvest, the plant is planted at the end of August. In this case, it will be possible to enjoy the first leaves in the spring.

In a plant planted before the onset of the first frosts, as a rule, the first shoots will hatch in speed. Then the plant will safely overwinter, and when the spring snow melts, in two weeks, it will be possible to harvest a full-fledged crop from fresh, green, juicy leaves.

September crops will sprout this year and overwinter almost without problems. With the advent of spring, they will thaw and begin intensive growth. When planted in October, green petals will ripen in mid-autumn. To ensure the harvest within six months - from spring to autumn, it is necessary to select optimal varieties and sow seeds from time to time.

In order for the plant to develop correctly, and the vegetation process to take place harmoniously, and nothing interfered with it, spinach should be cared for in the open field, competently and competently. Caring for planted leafy vegetables should begin with thinning out the rows and beds on which the crop grows.

Thinning occurs by removing extra, weaker seedlings, thus leaving a distance of 8-10 cm in the phase of two true leaves. Seedlings should be thinned out as early as possible, since in thickened rows they can bloom quickly, and all the strength of the plant will be spent on the formation of flowers first, and then seeds.

When the plants begin to come into contact with each other, a second thinning is carried out, leaving gaps of 15 cm. The removed plants can be eaten. The culture during the growth period also needs to be fed with ammonium nitrate, which is produced at the rate of (10-25 g per 1 m2).

The next step in care is to clean the area from weeds and irrigate the soil. During periods of drought, watering is simply necessary. Also, spinach is extremely susceptible to lack of moisture, being at the stage of spitting seeds and after the leaves have formed. Regular, timely watering prevents the formation of arrows on the shoots.

In order to obtain a large crop of spinach, pinching is done on the upper leaves of adult plants, which will stimulate the vegetation of new shoots. The soil between the rows needs periodic loosening. In order to protect leafy vegetables from diseases such as: false powdery mildew, leaf aphid, beet jaundice, it must be understood that wet weather contributes to these lesions.

The leaves of the culture are affected by the beet nematode, a common ailment with beets. In order to prevent such a misfortune, procedures are carried out to combat aphids and isolate from the host plants of the disease, beets in this case.

Harvesting can begin when the leaves are right size, that is, when 4-6 leaves are formed on the culture. Young and fragile leaves are removed first. Thus, constant collection stimulates the growth of new shoots.

Summer varieties remove up to half of the leaves, while winter varieties are carefully harvested, as they are very fragile, and removed by hand.

For eating, you need large shoots of spinach, on which there are no stems yet.

You can harvest the entire crop at once or partially, tearing off the leaves as they form, in which case the collection of leaves will last for weeks.

With spinach leaves, you should be extremely careful, do not tear, but break off slightly so as not to uproot the plant.

In the conditions of a leafy vegetable densely planted in the garden, when its sockets are cramped, young seedlings are plucked, thus thinning is carried out. Young plants are quite edible.

The best time to harvest spinach is in the morning or evening, while leaves picked during the day can quickly droop and become sluggish. It is not recommended to harvest spinach during rain, wet leaves may begin to rot.

If a lot of spinach has grown or there is a need to free up a site for planting other vegetables, root crops, then it is plucked along with the root, putting it in a container with the roots down.

The root of the plant is washed (water should not get on the leaves), blotted with a napkin.

Spinach is stored in the refrigerator in polyethylene or in plastic container no more than a day.

Wetting and washing the leaves before placing them in the chamber is not worth it, this reduces their storage time.

When transporting the crop over long distances, ice is placed in containers with leaves.

Spinach leaves are best eaten fresh, immediately after harvesting.

The plant contains many useful components: fiber, organic acids, a balanced multivitamin complex: vitamins A, C, B, folic acid, a high content of vitamin E, minerals - iron, potassium, magnesium.

The use of leaves has a beneficial effect on the body in order to prevent gastrointestinal diseases, anemia, diabetes, hypertension. The fiber of the leaves enhances intestinal motility, improves digestion, etc.

Spinach, a leafy vegetable, unfortunately does not keep fresh for long. And in order to use such green shoots valuable for the human body in winter, they are dried, canned, frozen.

From the video you will learn how to care for spinach.

How to grow spinach in the garden? A previously little-known plant is increasingly appearing in our beds. How to plant it and take care of it in the future in order to get a good harvest, we will try to describe below.

Spinach appeared in the gardens of Russians relatively recently, but quickly won one of the leading positions due to its valuable qualities and ease of cultivation. Growing spinach at home will provide you and your loved ones with an almost complete daily set. important elements. It is consumed both fresh and in the form of mashed potatoes, sauces, canned or frozen.

Growing spinach at home will provide you and your loved ones with an almost complete daily set of important elements.

Spinach is good for diseases of the heart and gastrointestinal tract, anemia, hypertension, and edema. Recommended for nervous disorders. Restrictions are imposed only with its large use in childhood and in kidney and liver disease.

To all of these positive qualities short growing periods, frost resistance, unpretentiousness, and also the opportunity to grow it at home are added.

Video story about useful properties

Agrotechnics when growing spinach is quite simple. You need to know some features and the harvest can delight you with its abundance for almost the entire garden season.

Spinach grows well both outdoors and indoors. In closed, of course, you will receive useful leaves earlier, but you can do without a greenhouse.

First you need to determine the site with which soil to choose for spinach in your country house. The plant loves fertile, well-fertilized soil, loamy or sandy loamy. Acidity plays an important role because acidic soils you can't wait for the harvest. If the soil is very acidic, then limestone can be added to even out the acidity.

Spinach grows well both outdoors and indoors.

It is advisable to dig the bed in the fall and apply potash, phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen - you need to partially apply, the remainder is applied in the spring before planting the first seeds.

Most often, you can grow a storehouse of vitamins by seeds. If you want to have fresh greens from under the snow at home, then you can sow the seeds at the end of August. By October, the plant will already be strong and enter the winter. And with the first rays of the spring sun, you will have nutritious leaves on your table.

The growing season is 40 to 55 days, depending on the growing time at home. Therefore, it is better to plant the first seeds in April. Seed germination occurs already at 4 degrees Celsius, and adult spinach will withstand frosts up to 6 degrees.

The optimum temperature is 15 degrees. The next sowing can be done in 1-1.5 months and so on throughout the season in the country. Thus, you will provide yourself with vitamins for the whole summer.

Video about growing spinach

Seeds before planting at home need to be prepared. Since they do not absorb moisture well, they should be in the liquid for two days. The water temperature is 25 degrees. After that, the seeds are dried so that they become free-flowing as before. Prepared seeds are sown in grooves 2-3 cm deep, sprinkled and compacted with soil from above. Distance between rows 25-30 cm.

In the garden, it consists in timely weeding, watering and thinning. After seed germination and the appearance of small plants, the bushes must be thinned out, leaving 8-10 cm between them.

Also, frequent watering will accelerate the growth of nutritious foliage. The roots of the crops are very large (about 25 cm), which means they need to be watered abundantly (about 10 liters per 1 sq. M.) And often, especially on hot days. Failure to comply with these rules will lead to shooting plants.

Spinach care in the garden consists of timely weeding, watering and thinning

Fertilization under growing bushes is undesirable, therefore it is better to introduce all useful elements at the stage of soil preparation. It is permissible to feed the seedlings with nitrogen in case of emergency. And top dressing with fresh manure is generally contraindicated, because of the ability of spinach to absorb nitrates.

Further agricultural technology in the country is to loosen the row spacing and remove new shoots that thicken the crops. Male spinach is also unproductive and therefore needs to be removed.

If, nevertheless, the plants begin to give arrows, they need to be broken off, otherwise the leaves will become stiff and unsuitable for food.

When forming 6-8 leaves, rosettes can be collected. Do not wait for the stems to appear, the leaves will be rough and tough. You can completely pull out the bushes, you can cut. Cut leaves are stored for 7 days. They are then canned, eaten fresh or frozen.

The story of the care of the plant

If you do not have the opportunity to grow a valuable plant in the country, then you can grow it at home. To do this, prepare a soil mixture that is close to the composition in the garden, fill the boxes with it and sow the seeds. possible in January.

Seeds are prepared as for planting in open ground, soaking. Otherwise, the planting is the same as in the garden, only the crops from above need to be covered with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect.

For greater access of oxygen to the roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil

After 10 days, the first shoots should hatch. The film or glass must be removed. And water the plants. As in the country, in the beds, the bushes need abundant watering and a humid environment. Spraying the leaves will create a favorable environment. There is an experience of hanging boxes with seedlings over the windowsill, so the earth dries less from heating appliances and the plants feel better.

For greater access of oxygen to the roots, it is necessary to loosen the soil. Thanks to this, more vitamins will accumulate.

Plants can be cut after about 50 days. Only unlike the garden type, at home you do not need to cut off all the leaves. It is enough to remove less than half of the leaves from each bush. Then after a while he will delight you with new juicy leaves.

Video clip about growing on the windowsill

And yet, at home, spinach can be grown not as an annual, but as a biennial plant. To do this, you must follow the rules of care and be sure to remove all arrows.

This is how easy it is to grow such a valuable product both in the garden and at home. Caring for spinach will give you a lot of pleasure and give health to your family.

Spinach is a plant that appeared not so long ago on summer cottages. Now it is "fashionable" to grow this garden greens in the beds. There have been many publications about the extraordinary usefulness of spinach for the body. The green plant is rich in ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, iron, phosphorus, multivitamins, unsaturated fatty acids. The high content of fiber allows you to remove toxins and toxins. No wonder doctors call the plant a "brush". Dark green spinach leaves are rich in chlorophyll, which is compared to blood hemoglobin.

Low-calorie vegetable greens are nutritious and useful for dietary diets and are used in weight loss programs. Doctors recommend the use of spinach greens for almost all people, excluding some categories of patients. Cultivation of spinach in dachas, as well as other garden greens: dill, parsley, celery, basil, cilantro, is an exciting activity, and grown greens will enrich the diet with vitamins. Spinach is eaten fresh, boiled, stewed, canned, frozen, dried. Salads, vegetable first courses, sauces are prepared from the leaves of the plant, they are used with meat, in fish dishes, omelettes, and pies.

Soil selection

Cultivation of spinach in the garden is not particularly difficult. Now there is a large selection of seed varieties for growing spinach in open ground. Since autumn, they prepare the site: they dig up and lay a full range of fertilizers - rotted manure, compost, phosphorus-potassium components. In early spring, urea granules are scattered over the snow. It should be remembered that nitrates linger very well in spinach leaves, so feed nitrogen fertilizers young plants are not recommended.

Spinach responds well to growing in fertile and loose soils. Good permeability of moisture and air through the soil is an essential condition for growing vegetable greens. Loamy soil is most favorable for planting garden culture. A heavy soil mixture prone to the formation of an earthen crust is not suitable for cultivating a plant. Soil acidity also affects the yield of spinach. The best option- neutral reaction of the earth, slight deviations in one direction or another are allowed.

The best predecessors for planting crops are legumes, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini. For planting, choose well-lit places. Spinach is also grown in partial shade during hot summers.

Preparing seeds for sowing

Spinach: growing from seed is the most common way to obtain vitamin products. The seedling method has not received practical value, spinach roots are very sensitive to any changes and the survival rate of plants is very low.

Spinach seeds are tightly covered with seed coat. Sowing material is kept in water for 1-2 days to improve germination. The water is changed several times. Experienced gardeners recommend soaking spinach seeds in biostimulants: Epin, Zircon, Energen. Then the seeds are dried to a state of flowability.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Experts recommend sowing spinach seeds, focusing on hatched lilac buds. Seeds are buried in grooves spilled with water 1-2 cm and 20 cm between rows. When rosettes of leaves appear, spinach is pulled through.

Spinach has a short growing season. To keep spinach on the table for as long as possible, it should be sown several times per season. It is wonderful to grow spinach during winter sowing. Seeds are planted in the prepared bed in the fall, from September to November. By winter, small rosettes of young plants will form, which will overwinter and in mid-April will delight with strong green leaves.

Spinach is a frost-resistant plant that can withstand temperatures as low as -7-8 degrees. With this method of planting, the seed material does not need to be pre-soaked. Seeds that do not sprout in autumn will hatch in early spring. Hardened and strong, they will quickly grow.

In the spring, spinach is sown in March-April. Harvest of green mass is harvested 20-25 days after germination. You can sow spinach as early as May-June, but in hot and dry weather, spinach leaves will grow stiff and the plant will quickly go to the arrow.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

Spinach care consists in loosening the soil, timely removal of weeds, regular watering and top dressing. Spinach grows ideally at a temperature of 18-25 degrees Celsius. In sunny, dry weather, it shoots easily, the leaves become hard and tasteless.

The plant is demanding for watering. Overdrying of the soil and the formation of an earth crust are not allowed. After rains and watering, it is recommended to carefully loosen the soil and water with a liquid universal fertilizer with humates - Agricola Vegeta to increase productivity, resistance to bolting, and lower nitrate content.

Removal of weeds throughout the vegetative growth of spinach - important condition high yield.

in the greenhouse

The agrotechnology of growing spinach in a greenhouse is in many ways similar to growing a crop in open ground. Greenhouse conditions with sufficient lighting and heating make it possible to grow spinach all year round.

The first sowing of seeds is carried out in the fall, the second - in January. After the appearance of a rosette of 3-4 leaves, the soil is loosened, thickened crops are thinned out, leaving a distance between plants of 15-20 cm. Spinach is watered once a week. To avoid fungal diseases, the greenhouse is periodically opened for ventilation.

Fertilizers are fertilized at intervals of two weeks after watering and cutting green leaves. It is better to use universal organic fertilizers with humates and trace elements, such as: Agricola Vegeta, Giant, Ideal. Fertilizers should be diluted and dosed strictly according to the attached instructions.

The early maturity of spinach allows you to collect green mass 25-30 days after planting. You can cut off the lower leaves at the stage of formation of a 6-8 leaf rosette, or by tearing the plant from the root.

On the windowsill

Growing spinach at home makes it possible to get a green product rich in vitamins and minerals right on the windowsill. To do this, a layer of expanded clay drainage is laid out at the bottom of flower lawns, poured fertile soil, consisting of garden soil, peat, sand and humus in the ratio: 2: 1: 1: 1.

Seeds for sowing are soaked as described above and deepened by 1 cm. Watered by spraying and covered with film or glass. After the emergence of shoots, the film is removed.

With insufficient daylight, additional illumination of plants is required. Spinach grows splendidly in hanging planters near the window, located above the radiators. Young plants should be watered periodically, fertilized once every two weeks and sprayed on green leaves. The following varieties are suitable for growing spinach on the windowsill: Victoria, Zhirnolistny, Tarantella, Giant.

Buy spinach seeds from specialized stores. Check the expiration date of the seed material. Only high-quality varietal seeds have high germination, are resistant to diseases and guarantee a high yield.
Spinach does not like acidic soil. Neutralize soil acidity by adding fluffy lime, dolomite flour, chalk.
Experienced gardeners advise growing spinach on high beds: they warm up faster by the sun, and the presence of sides helps to retain moisture.
For spring cultivation use early ripe varieties of spinach: Krepysh, Matador, Khorovod. This will ensure an earlier appearance of green vitamins.
Remove flower arrows that impair the taste of spinach.
Thickened plantings of spinach are prone to bolting. Thin out the plants, leaving a distance of 15-20 cm between plants.

Spinach has not yet received such popularity among Russian summer residents as other green crops, and in vain. Thanks to its cold resistance, already in May it is possible to obtain juicy, unique-tasting spinach leaves grown in the open field for spring salads. There is still very little greenery in the garden at this time, so tasty and healthy spinach will not only perfectly complement any dish, but also make up for the spring deficiency of vitamins in the body.

Tellingly, spinach leaves retain useful material with any processing: thermal or freezing. They contain a whole set of acids: ascorbic, oxalic and oleic, they are rich in calcium, phosphorus, carotene and manganese, iron and copper, and there are enough vitamins: E, K, B, P, PP.

Depending on the ripening time, spinach can be:

early (15-20 days) - "Stoic", "Giant";
mid-season (25-30 days) - "Fortress", "Matador";
late-ripening (30-35 days) - "Fatty-leaved", "Victoria".

Separately, one can note such a variety as Strawberry spinach, in which, in addition to tender juicy leaves, edible red berries grow, outwardly similar to raspberries, but with a strawberry flavor. You can eat them fresh, as well as cook jam, compotes and other sweet dishes. It bears fruit until late autumn, but not in such abundance as in summer.

Mid-ripening spinach gives viable and ready-to-harvest shoots only 30-60 days after planting the seeds

Soil Requirements

Maximum yield is guaranteed on fertile sandy and loamy soils, well drained and neutral in acidity. Under certain conditions, spinach gives good yields on other soils. So, sandy soil will have to be watered much more often, and to loosen heavy and dense soil, organic matter, lime and carbonate residues are needed.

A bed for spinach is arranged in a sunny place, since in low light the amount of vitamin C in the leaves decreases. Soil preparation is divided into 2 stages:

In autumn, you need to add compost to the selected area (6 kg per 1 m2), as well as feed the soil with phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, and then dig it up;
In the spring, the site is cultivated, and if the soil is not fertile enough, then enrich it mineral top dressing. Nitrogen is added only when absolutely necessary, since spinach leaves are sensitive to it and nitrates accumulate in them quickly.

The soil in the garden must be fertile, for this they bring peat land, a little humus, 1 teaspoon of superphosphate and potassium sulfate (per square meter). It is better to fertilize the soil in autumn.

Seed preparation and sowing features of spinach

Spinach is grown only from seeds that need to be pre-prepared. For two days they are lowered into warm water(+25°C), not forgetting to change it every 4 hours. After soaking, the seeds should dry thoroughly and become free-flowing again. This procedure is called bubbling.

Spinach requires a long daylight hours for rapid and full development. So that flower stalks do not appear on it ahead of time, it is sown very early - at the end of April. This can be done even earlier if you remove the snow from the site prepared in the fall early, and as soon as the soil warms up, sow spinach. This culture is cold-resistant, not afraid of frost and requires almost no maintenance.

On heavy soils, it is better to arrange small beds, in other cases, you can sow in rows. The depth of the grooves is 2 cm, the distance between the rows is 20-30 cm. The consumption of seeds per 1 m2 is approximately 5 g. From above, the seeds should be covered with earth, mulched with peat and poured with warm water. Seedlings should emerge after 4-5 days.

Spinach will grow well after potatoes, radishes, beets, cabbage: cauliflower and early, as well as cucumbers. Having spent the first sowing in April, you can sow it every 2 weeks, uninterruptedly harvesting this delicious green crop. The last sowing date is the beginning of September, in which case the first harvest of vitamin foliage will delight in early spring.

Rules for outdoor care

Caring for spinach in the garden consists of regular watering and weeding.

Caring for spinach in the garden is easy. The main task is to prevent stalking, for which it is necessary frequent watering and spraying. Weeding for the entire period will require 3-4, they are needed to destroy weeds and loosen the earth. Simultaneously with weeding, young sprouts are removed so that they do not thicken the plantings.

The entire growing season, spinach must be fed, but only after watering or rain, and immediately loosen the soil. As soon as 7-8 leaves are formed, you can start cutting them off until the plant throws out flower stalks. Then they are torn out of the ground entirely.

Pests and diseases

Spinach belongs to undemanding plants, diseases and pests on it are extremely rare. Of the fungal diseases, one can note root rot and downy mildew. In the first case, the root turns black and the plant gradually dies. You can fight this phenomenon by periodically loosening the soil. Downy mildew signals its appearance with yellow spots on the leaves and a gray-purple bloom. Leaves should be smeared with ground sulfur and treated with mullein infusion.

Spinach can be harmed by aphids, which are destroyed by spraying the plants with a solution of laundry soap for a week. 300 g of soap is diluted in 10 liters of water. You can also find a mining fly on spinach, which lays eggs on the back of the leaves in early June. The larvae gnaw the leaves, swollen spots form on them and the plants die. Protective measures are as follows: timely removal of weeds and leaves with damage, and spinach should not be planted near beets.

How to prepare spinach seeds?

There is nothing complicated in harvesting seeds. Choose 2-3 of the healthiest, strongest and most consistent with the varietal characteristics of the specimen and leave them to bloom and set seeds. By August, the seeds ripen, the spinach is pulled out of the ground and sent to the attic to dry. All that's left to do is to let go required amount seeds for subsequent plantings.

Growing spinach at home?

Like many green crops, spinach grows well at home on the windowsill, you just need to provide it with a long daylight hours (at least 10 hours). Therefore, he will need a southern window sill or additional lighting with an artificial lighting lamp, which is placed at a distance of half a meter from the plants.

Absolutely any container is suitable, as long as it is deep and has drainage holes. First, 3 cm of drainage from expanded clay or small pebbles are poured onto the bottom, and soil mixture, loose and nutritious, is poured on top.

You can purchase ready-made soil or prepare it yourself:

Option 1: a mixture of slightly acidic garden soil with humus and its subsequent disinfection in the oven;
Option 2: you need to mix 1 part of biohumus with 2 parts of coconut fiber, which will retain water and "regulate" the humidity of the substrate.

Varieties should be chosen early ripe - "Giant" or "Stoic", which will give the first greens in one month.

Planting depth 1 cm, according to the scheme 7x7 cm. The easiest way is to divide the container into squares of the same size and then plant the seeds. From above they need to be sprinkled with soil, moistened with a spray gun and covered with a film or glass. Shoots will begin to appear in a week, then the shelter is removed.

Spinach seedlings dive in the phase of formation of 2-3 leaves, before that, abundantly moistening the ground. If the roots are carefully and carefully released, then the plants will easily take root on permanent place after transplant.

The main condition for care is to prevent the earth from drying out, then the plants quickly wither and die. Therefore, it is recommended to water them often, but moderately, you will also have to regularly spray the plants. Next to the container to increase the humidity, you can put a vessel with water.

Optimum temperature for growing spinach at home - no higher than 16 ° C, higher values \u200b\u200bwill lead to the formation of flower-bearing arrows. If the soil was fertile, then homemade spinach does not need top dressing; for such a short period of development, those nutrients that were originally contained in the soil will be enough.

When the spinach grows to 8-9 cm, you can start cutting the leaves, it is carried out until the formation of peduncles. Then the plant is removed and a new batch of seeds is sown. Thus, appetizing greens are easy to grow not only in the garden or in the greenhouse, but also at home: on the windowsill or glazed balcony.

Video: Growing and Harvesting Spinach

Spinach is a cold-hardy, fast-growing plant related to beets and chard. Spinach can be planted in either spring or fall, or both spring and fall if you want to harvest twice a year. Spinach tastes great both raw and cooked, and is high in iron, calcium, antioxidants, and essential vitamins like A, B, and C. Read this step by step instructions, you will learn how to properly grow your own spinach crop.

Steps

Variety selection

Grow spinach in cool climates. Spinach is exceptionally hardy and thrives in cold to temperate climates. This plant, which prefers cool conditions, loves temperatures from 1 to 23 ° C.

Choose Savoyard and Semi-Savoy varieties for planting in the fall. The Savoy variety is characterized by dark green wrinkled leaves. This spinach is best planted in the fall because it becomes very brittle in cold weather.

Choose smooth-leaved spinach if you want a quick harvest. Smooth-leafed spinach grows taller, and its leaves are paler than those of Savoy spinach. It grows quickly and easily, making the perfect addition to any summer salad.

Site preparation for planting

Choose an area that receives full sun. Although spinach prefers mild climates and will not do well in very high temperatures, it still loves sunlight. Spinach will grow in the shade, but the crop will not be as impressive and the plant will not be as productive as if it were growing in the sun.

Make sure the soil drains well. Spinach likes a mild and humid climate, but will do poorly in soils that are regularly flooded and not drained. If you can't find a suitable spot in your garden, you can make a raised bed or plant your spinach in a pot.
- If you are making a raised bed, use cedar boards as the material if possible. Cedar wood does not rot when exposed to water.
- Because spinach is a small plant that doesn't grow long roots, you won't need much space to grow it.

spinach care

Thin out plants. Once your spinach sprouts have grown into seedlings, thin them out a bit to prevent space competition between them. You should thin out the plants so that the leaves of neighboring plants are barely touching each other. This spatial balance needs to be achieved, even if you have to uproot some of the plants.