Baby spinach: Growing your own leafy greens at home

Of all the leafy greens you can grow in your home garden, one of the most rewarding is baby spinach. Growing spinach from seed is a simple process and perfect for small spaces.

For more information on growing spinach, here is a basic guide to help:

Supplies needed

To grow spinach, you’ll need the following:

• Spinach seeds.
  • While most varieties of spinach have the same growing process, the best choices for baby spinach are Catalina, Renegade or Bloomsdale.
• Nitrogen rich potting soil.
• Several pots or containers at least 12 inches deep by 12 inches in diameter.
  • Spinach plants need at least 6 inches of space between them, so you can grow two full plants in a single container of this size.

  How to grow baby spinach from seed

  1. Loosely fill your container with soil.
  2. Using fingers, a pencil or other small tool, poke four, ½ inch holes into the soil.
  3. Plant spinach seeds in each hole and cover gently with soil.
  4. Place the spinach container somewhere it will remain between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and get at least six hours of sun per day. Supplement with LED grow lamps if you don’t have a sunny spot.
  5. Water the seeds thoroughly, keeping the soil evenly moist but not soggy. To prevent overwatering the seedlings, wait to water again until the top inch of soil is dry.
  6. After 10-14 days, you should have visible leaf sprouts. Once the seedlings have four leaves, they’re ready to be transplanted into their individual containers.
  7. Harvest spinach approximately 40 days after planting. To encourage new leaf growth, only harvest leaves from the outside of the plant, always leaving at least one.
  8. Once your spinach plants are fully grown, you can continue to harvest leaves several more times as it regrows. The key is to never take more than ⅓ of the leaves at one time, as taking more will shock the plant and may prevent the growth of new baby spinach leaves.

  If you use this simple method for growing spinach plants, you’ll have an excellent source of nutrient-rich leafy greens for salads, smoothies and any other dish you prefer.