Growing spinach in October: Why sowing is still possible

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Sow until October
Vitamin-rich autumn vegetables: That’s why you can still grow spinach now

Spinach can be sown (at mild temperatures) until October

© GomezDavid / Getty Images

Anna Scheibe

Since spinach also thrives in cooler temperatures, it is suitable for sowing in autumn. What you need to consider when growing, caring for and harvesting is explained below.

Rich in vitamins and beta-carotene, spinach is a popular vegetable. Whether in a salad, as a side dish or in a smoothie – you can use the leaves to create all sorts of recipe ideas. So that you can harvest the fresh greens in October (even into November depending on the temperature), we recommend sowing special autumn varieties, such as “Monnopa” or “Matador“. They are more resilient and therefore less sensitive to cold. We will explain to you step by step how to grow vegetables in the garden.

Growing spinach – step by step

If possible, sowing should take place at the end of September or the beginning of October at the latest. And this is how you do it:

  1. Step: First, the soil in the vegetable patch is loosened and freed from any possible wild growth. Depending on how heavily the soil has already been stressed in the summer, adding nutrients in the form of fresh (garden) compost may make sense.
  2. Step: Place the spinach seeds in the soil at a maximum distance of five centimeters. Make sure there is enough space between rows of plants to grow. Then cover the seeds with soil that is lightly pressed down.
  3. Step: Last but not least, the soil is watered so that the seeds germinate quickly. Depending on the variety, the first seedlings appear after one to two weeks – and six to eight weeks later the first leaves can be harvested.

Another tip: with one Polytunnel or Garden fleece You can protect the tender young plants from possible frost damage.

Watering and fertilizing: tips for care

Pour

Keep the soil moist until the first seedlings appear. To ensure that they grow well and that the leaves do not dry out (which can happen quickly), it is important to water the spinach at regular intervals – preferably in the morning so that the plants do not get thirsty throughout the day. To avoid fungal diseases, the leaves should not get wet when watering.

Fertilize

Since spinach is a weak feeder, you should not fertilize the soil – except when sowing, when the soil hardly contains any nutrients from the previous harvest. Either fresh compost soil or horn shavings come into question. If over-fertilization occurs, the leaves store more nitrate, which should be avoided. If the plant has not received enough nutrients, this is usually noticeable through yellow leaves or a lack of growth.

Harvesting spinach: This is what you should keep in mind

It is generally recommended to harvest the spinach on sunny days at lunchtime or in the evening – then the nitrate content will be lower. Only cut off the outer leaves, preferably close to the ground, and leave the heart of the plant (still). This causes it to sprout again. If the first flowers already form, the spinach becomes bitter and should no longer be consumed.

Source: My beautiful garden

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