Even on tiny plots, gardeners manage to harmoniously place all kinds of vegetables, herbs, berry bushes. Every year the assortment is replenished with new varieties, and some of them are not quite suitable for growing without a greenhouse. Growing spinach in the open field has just begun to be practiced, and it quickly gained popularity among gardeners, because despite fears, the plant feels great and with proper care, spinach quickly builds up a fleshy green mass.
Spinach is an amazing plant, in some countries it is considered a weed and is ruthlessly destroyed, in others it is carefully looked after, trying to preserve every leaf. The homeland of the green vegetable is the Middle East, where it freely lives in warmth and comfort. In cooler latitudes, some effort will have to be made to provide the plant with the necessary conditions.
What does a green plant need to please with a harvest of delicious leaves?
There are very few requirements:
- regular generous watering;
- bright sunny area;
- timely removal of weeds;
- introduction of nutrients;
- light fertile soil.
If you do everything in a timely manner and avoid annoying mistakes, the handsome spinach will certainly become one of your favorite plants.
When to start planting spinach and how to do it right?
Unlike most vegetable crops, which are planted in spring or before winter, spinach can be planted throughout the year (excluding winter). In autumn, it is recommended to send a plant to the garden bed only in regions with a temperate climate, and you will definitely need a cover.
It is better to give preference to a spring planting - green leaves will be on the kitchen table throughout the warm season.
Summer planting has its own characteristics: abundant watering before planting and covering the beds with mats to accelerate the emergence of sprouts.
Sowing should be carried out in shallow grooves (up to 3 cm deep). Do not leave the row spacing wide, 30-35 cm is quite enough. The final stage of sowing should be rolling - this will keep the moisture necessary for the emergence of friendly shoots.
Features of growing strawberry spinach
Strawberry spinach arouses curiosity among many gardeners, because this curiosity has recently become popular among lovers of exoticism in the beds. As in ordinary spinach, only the leaves are valuable here (they manage to grow more than half a meter in length), while berries, despite the abundance of nutrients, are not particularly popular - they are completely tasteless.
The plant is completely undemanding to the soil, it can be grown even on loams or sandstones, although the yield will be slightly worse than on chernozems. Planting is usually done in the spring, but the seeds sent in the fall are capable of giving small outlets before persistent cold weather. Before winter, they will get stronger, and a thin cover is enough so that with the arrival of spring the plant starts to grow and already at the beginning of summer pleases with juicy large leaves.
Agrotechnics of strawberry exotic plants differ little from caring for ordinary spinach. Watering and weeding are required, and the introduction of nutrients will not be superfluous. The only difference is that you have to tie up the bushes, otherwise, under the weight of the berries, they will lie on the garden bed.
Spinach care: from planting to harvest
How does planting spinach begin? When growing any vegetable crop, it is important to choose the right variety, and green exotic is no exception. Gardeners already have their favorite spinach varieties, time-tested and delighting with an abundant harvest of juicy leaves.
You can safely grow the following varieties in the garden:
- Matador;
- Victoria;
- Fatty;
- Godry;
- Virofle.
Each of these varieties thrives both in the greenhouse and outdoors.
How to properly prepare the soil for sowing
Despite the undemanding spinach, it is impossible to grow a good harvest of leaves without top dressing, but experienced gardeners, who have made friends with the plant, advise to make their life easier by introducing nutrients before planting. It is better to prepare the garden 2-4 weeks before sowing the seeds.
It is enough to add 4-6 kg of good humus per square meter of the garden. The plant does not really respect fresh organic matter - the leaves will grow large, but they will lose their fleshiness. If the soil is very poor, you can also add a good handful of potash and phosphorus fertilizers before digging.
Spinach tends to accumulate nitrates, so it is better not to use nitrogen fertilizers.
Fertilizing and watering - how to avoid mistakes
Spinach loves moisture, but in hot summer it can please with fleshy leaves. If the weather does not indulge in rains, several times a month you will have to arm yourself with a watering can and pamper your plants with abundant watering. Water must first stand in the sun - cold moisture can cause disease and destroy the entire garden.
Usually, spinach has enough useful elements that were introduced into the soil during the preparation of the beds. If the plant grows slowly and is reluctant to grow green mass, you can feed it with urea. It is easy to prepare a nutrient solution - dissolve 15-20 grams in a bucket of water. urea and water the garden (first thoroughly moisten the ground). It is better not to add phosphorus and potassium during the growth period - the plant will quickly throw out the arrows.
When to collect leaves
It is important not to miss the collection of leaves - if you are late, they will lose their juiciness, coarse, become tasteless. It is better to go to the garden for the harvest in the morning, but only in dry weather - excess moisture in the soil causes fragility and fragility of the leaves.
You can start harvesting only after the spinach has grown at least six beautiful large leaves (usually 9-11 weeks after planting). You can cut off the entire outlet or pull it out of the ground along with the root, but most gardeners prefer to constantly have fresh leaves on the table, collecting them as they grow up.
Tips to know when growing spinach from seeds
The first thing to remember is that two sprouts grow from a round seed, which grow quickly, one of them should be removed. Thinning after the appearance of the second leaf will help you get a healthy plant that does not have to share nutrients and moisture with a neighbor. The ideal distance between plants is at least 15 cm. Before thinning, the soil should be watered generously - spinach roots are very fragile and easily damaged.
Growing spinach from seeds also includes frequent loosening, especially until the plant has thrown up to 5 leaves. Simultaneously with loosening, weeding is carried out - malicious weeds can drown out fragile sprouts.
What plants in the neighborhood will spinach get along well with
Spinach lovers usually set aside large beds for their exotic handsome man, especially if the size of the garden allows. Owners of tiny plots of land should not be upset - spinach perfectly coexists with any vegetable crops, you can plant it even between rows of onions or carrots. Spinach should be grown with care near cucumbers or zucchini - long lashes can break fragile leaves.
Spinach can even be grown in the garden by preparing a small bed. The shade from large trees is not an obstacle for the plant, but the planting should be placed so that at least a few hours a day the sun's rays penetrate the leaves. Otherwise, the harvest will be rather poor.
Which pests and what diseases can threaten spinach
Spinach has a lot of enemies, and if the gardener does not respond to the threat in time, it can completely lose the crop. The main enemy is the ubiquitous aphid. It is not recommended to deal with it with chemicals, since many harmful substances can remain in the fleshy leaves.
It is better to resort to folk methods:
- A decoction of ash (300 gr. Wood ash, pour 6 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, process the plants abundantly).
- Wormwood infusion (grind 400 g of wormwood leaves, pour 5 liters of water, stand for a day, spray).
- Soap solution (dissolve 2 bars of laundry soap in 5 liters of water, spray the plants).
Snails also do not mind, enjoy delicious leaves, in a few days with a large accumulation of pests, you can lose the entire crop. Simple traps will help here, which you can make yourself. To do this, take plastic bottles, cut off the bottom, and bury them in the beds with spinach, making sure that the edges of the trap do not rise above the surface of the ground. It remains to pour some beer into the trap in the evening, which will certainly attract pests. In the morning, you can harvest snails that could not get out of the plastic cup after the feast.
Of the diseases, powdery mildew can threaten spinach. You need to deal with it even when planting a plant - it is important to place the bushes at the required distance. A dense planting is the main cause of the onset of the disease. With a slight infection, you can try to spray the spinach with whey or garlic infusion (insist 100 grams of garlic in 3 liters of water for 2 days).
Root rot can also kill spinach. Measures that will help to avoid the disease are timely loosening of the soil, thinning of plantations. The use of chemicals is not recommended - if the disease cannot be avoided, the plant can no longer be saved.
Spinach is an annual herb that is growing in popularity among gardeners.
Its greens are very beneficial for the body, as they contain a large amount of iron.
With the right care, you can achieve good results in growing spinach outdoors.
The plant grows well in the garden or in the summer cottage and allows you to provide the whole family with healthy fleshy greens.
If we translate the name of spinach from Persian into Russian, it means "green hand".
In Central Asia, perennial spinach is very common, where it even grows like a weed.
As a healthy greenery, spinach is grown in many countries, and ours was no exception.
Depending on the variety, spinach grows from 30 to 45 cm in height. The grass blooms in summer.
After flowering, oval-shaped fruits are formed - nuts.
The plant belongs to the early maturing species and allows you to grow a crop of useful greenery in 30-45 days.
It grows throughout the country, so you can pick up spinach for the Moscow region, the middle lane and other regions.
Variety Victoria
Victoria spinach has dark green leaves.
They have a slightly bluish tint.
The plant is up to 10 cm high.
Victoria variety is rich in vitamins, suitable for use in cooking.
For example, it is widely used in the preparation of soups, seasonings, sauces.
It is grown by sowing before winter or early spring.
New Zealand
The variety is grown relatively recently.
It tolerates drought well, practically is not damaged by diseases and pests.
It develops slowly, but grows closer to autumn.
At this stage, the New Zealand variety becomes very juicy and tasty.
Stoic
The Stoic variety is excellent for human consumption.
It is used for canning or fresh.
A plant with large leaves reaching 16-20 cm in length. Stoic is a very productive and unpretentious variety.
Godry
Gaudry can be classified as an early maturing variety. It is suitable for growing in greenhouse conditions in early spring or in greenhouses.
After germination, it takes about 17-30 days, when a rosette with a diameter of up to 20 cm is formed.
Matador
Growing Matador spinach is easy.
The variety is unpretentious, has good resistance to diseases and pests.
The matador produces a rich harvest of fleshy greens. Also resistant to flowers.
Virofle
Virofle is suitable for early sowing. The variety is early maturing.
Greens can be obtained 25-30 days after germination.
The leaves of the plant are green, slightly corrugated.
Giant spinach can be grown both in open and protected ground.
The variety is early maturing with oval green leaves.
They form a rosette with a diameter of 18-50 cm.
Sow in early spring.
Giant is considered the best for canning.
Sturdy
Mid-season spinach Krepysh. It is resistant to cold weather.
A plant with dark green elongated leaves. As for the rosette, it is formed up to 25 cm wide.
Strawberry
Strawberry spinach is an unusual variety with red berries.
It doesn't look like regular spinach.
Several stems usually grow.
Their height can reach 60 cm.
The fruits are like berries. The leaves are different from common spinach varieties.
Grown by sowing seeds in open ground or seedling. Such a plant will also become a real decoration of the site.
Growing features
Spinach, the cultivation of which should not cause difficulties, belongs to unpretentious and resistant to cold weather, diseases and pests of plants.
Providing it with all the necessary conditions, you will get a rich harvest of greens containing a large amount of iron.
Spinach is advised to be eaten by children, women, adolescents.
When to plant greens in open ground, planting timing
To understand when to plant spinach, you need to choose how to grow it. It can be open or protected ground (greenhouse or greenhouse).
According to reviews, they are sown in this way:
- If the greens will grow in a greenhouse or greenhouse, the optimal sowing time is the end of February.
- When grown outdoors, it is recommended to sow before winter. The best time for this is September-October. The planting material perfectly tolerates the cold, with the melting of the snow in the spring, the first shoots will appear.
- If the fall planting failed, do not despair. You can also do this right after the snow has melted.
If you need to get fleshy juicy greens in the fall, you need to sow in the middle of summer or August.
To obtain a harvest throughout the summer, you need to plant seeds every 20-30 days.
Site preparation for landing
When sowing spinach in open ground, it is important to choose the right site in the country or in the garden, as well as prepare it.
Seat selection
Spinach is a plant that favors well-lit areas.
The scorching sun can harm the plant, so it needs to be covered for a while.
What soil is needed and how to prepare it
A useful herbaceous plant grows well in drained, slightly acidic soil.
It should contain as many nutrients as possible. Most often, planting beds are prepared in the fall:
- First of all, they are carefully dug up.
- If the soil is too acidic, dolomite flour is added or liming is carried out.
- Next, fertilizers are applied. You need 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium salt per square meter. This will help you get a healthy plant and increase the yield.
- Rotted manure or humus is also introduced. Do this when digging the soil.
How to plant spinach outdoors, preparation and planting
Growing from spinach seeds is a simple process. First you need to properly prepare the seeds.
Correct fit also plays an important role.
How to prepare seeds
Spinach seeds are covered with a hard shell. This makes it difficult for sprouts to break through.
To speed up the germination process, the planting material must be soaked. They do it this way:
- Pour warm water into a plate, jar or other convenient container.
- The seeds are placed in water.
- Withstand for at least a day. Best soaked for 2 days.
During this time, the water is periodically changed to clean water. At this stage, the room temperature is important.
It should be at least + 20-25 ° C.
Such conditions will be ideal for accelerating the germination of planting material.
After the specified time, the seeds are taken out and dried.
Only then are they sown.
Direct landing
If the sowing of spinach will be carried out in rows on the beds, then first the soil is loosened. After that, grooves are made with a depth of 2 cm. Watered with warm water.
The seeds are spread along the furrows.
note that the distance between the rows is at least 15 cm, and between the plants - 7 cm.
Approximately 4-5 grams of seeds will be required per square meter of area.
Warm weather and humidity encourage seed germination. If all the rules are followed, the first spinach shoots will appear in about 10-14 days.
How to care for a plant after planting
With proper care, you can get fresh tender leaves within 2-3 weeks after planting.
Growing and caring for spinach in the open field should include watering, loosening, and weeding.
It is also important to shelter the plants from the scorching rays and, if necessary, feed them.
A herbaceous plant grown on the site needs constant watering.
As for the frequency, the bushes are watered 2-3 times in 7 days.
This is, of course, approximate, because weather conditions can vary.
In order not to flood the plant, it is important to reduce watering during rainy summer.
Excessive water content in the soil can lead to the appearance of various diseases.
For 1 sq. m. approximately consume up to 10 liters of water. It is recommended to use non-cold water.
Top dressing
It is not difficult to understand how to grow spinach in the country. An unpretentious herbaceous plant yields a crop even without the use of dressings.
In some cases, for example, when the weather conditions are too unfavorable, you need to help spinach. Sometimes its rosettes develop slowly and poorly.
This means that the plant lacks nitrogen. The situation can be corrected by feeding with nitrogen-containing additives.
Nitrogen fertilizer granules are embedded in the soil. Planting depth - 2-5 cm. After fertilization, the rows must be watered.
Weeding and loosening
Like all plants, spinach requires grooming. Loosening the soil helps oxygen to penetrate to the roots. From this, it begins to develop rapidly.
Weeds inhibit the growth of spinach, especially in the early stages of its development. That is why you need to get rid of them in a timely manner.
Shelter in the heat
All varieties of greenery need shelter. It is required in hot weather, when the hot, scorching sun appears.
To prevent the plant from getting burned, it must be covered with a special material. Nonwovens are available from the store.
If shading is not applied, the leaves become rough and lose their taste.
Diseases and pests of spinach
Growing spinach in the country is also not complete without preventive measures that will help prevent the appearance of pests or the occurrence of diseases.
It must be constantly inspected for the appearance of diseases or pests.
Processing with pesticides cannot be carried out, since the greens will further be used in the preparation of various dishes, canning.
That is why it is best to take care of plant health in advance.
Most often, gardeners are faced with the following diseases:
- Fusarium - spinach seedlings can die from this disease.
They become dull, turn yellow. The root system begins to ache and dies. As a result of this disease, you can lose the plant.
More often than this, the rapid spread of the disease is facilitated by an increased soil temperature.
- Cucumber Mosaic Virus- can also harm spinach like cucumbers. The plant becomes more susceptible to damage from other diseases.
- Cercosporosis - yellowish spots of different diameters can be found on spinach in the garden.
If you look at the center of the spots, you can see darkened spores. Over time, the spots begin to grow, occupying large areas.
- Anthracnose - This disease can be identified by gray spots that form on the leaves and petioles.
Pests that can threaten the harvest of juicy greens:
- slugs;
- beet fly;
- cabbage scoop.
If the plants are constantly inspected, pests or diseases can be detected at an early stage. This will allow you to apply the measures necessary to heal the greens.
To do this, you can use tobacco, pepper, tomato spray solution.
If this still does not help get rid of the disease, the affected plants need to be dug up and burned.
When to harvest and how to store
As a rule, you can collect greens if the plant has 8-10 leaves.
But sometimes gardeners cut it even with 6 sheets available.
You need to cut them off under the first sheet.
You can also dig up or pull out the whole plant. The main thing is not to delay the harvest.
Leaves harvested late are tougher, less juicy and less tasty.
note also that it is better to collect greens in the morning. It is not recommended to cut the leaves after rain.
The collected greens can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.
If spinach is needed for consumption after a few days or weeks, it can be dried or frozen. Frozen greens retain all the nutrients.
Combination with other plants on the site
Planting spinach can be carried out in the aisles. For this, the best neighbors for him will be:
- potato;
- beans;
- eggplant;
- corn;
- cabbage.
Garden strawberries, onions or celery also grow well with spinach.
Healthy greens can also be grown in separate beds.
Spinach is an excellent plant that requires little effort to grow.
It tolerates cold weather well, rarely gets sick.
A useful, iron-rich herb is increasingly seen in garden plots. By planting it in the country, you can get fleshy juicy greens.
In addition, some gardeners dig up the plants and transplant them into pots. Then they take it to the house and get the harvest right from the windowsill!
CherryLink plugin not foundBut in order to get useful macro- and microelements even in the middle of winter, many sow spinach seeds at home and grow them on the windowsill. If you can observe the easy rules of sowing and maintenance (create the necessary light and temperature conditions), then you will have fresh and juicy greens all year round, even if you do not have a summer cottage.
Before you start growing spinach on a windowsill, you should purchase high-quality planting material. And for this, first of all, carefully study the instructions on the package - familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the varieties in order to choose the most suitable for indoor growing.
As a rule, the following spinach varieties are used for sowing, which perfectly tolerate greenhouse conditions and give a bountiful harvest:
To determine the most suitable variety, it is worth planting several packages of seeds in different containers. Only after that you can understand which kind of spinach will suit you best by all criteria.
How to plant spinach on a windowsill: features, conditions and step-by-step instructions
After the desired variety has been selected, sowing work should be started, namely: preparing the container, soil for growing, soaking the seeds. To do this, planting spinach at home requires a competent approach and performing all stages of growing according to certain rules.
Growing container
The root system of spinach, for example, unlike sorrel, is rather shallow, so a small depth is required.
By the way! Many people dislike spinach because it tastes like grass by grass (not sour like sorrel). Indeed, it is a tasteless plant. But a neutral taste is gorgeous, you can make such delicious dressings! For example, Caesar salad with spinach turns out to be very unusual.
Naturally, the pot must have drainage holes for excess moisture to drain out.
In addition, a small layer of expanded clay or foam should be laid out at the bottom of the planting tank as drainage.
What soil to plant
Spinach will only grow well in neutral soil.
In other words, spinach loves soil. with an acidity level of about 6.5-7 pH!
You can purchase ready-made soil for growing vegetables such as cabbage, pumpkin, beans, peas.
Or cook it yourself. To do this, take a neutral garden soil and mix it with compost or humus, as well as river sand.
Advice! Any soil, even purchased, is recommended to be disinfected beforehand, for example, by frying it in the oven, so that all pathogenic organisms and fungi die under the influence of high temperatures. And / or spilling with potassium permanganate solution or.
Presowing seed preparation
Planting spinach with dry, unprepared seeds is not recommended (unless it is coated, i.e. already processed seeds). The seeds have a dense outer structure, so they should be pre-soaked for a day or two in water at room temperature (above 18 degrees).
And then (if desired) hold for another 20-30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the seedlings from diseases.
Direct landing
Step-by-step instructions for sowing spinach seeds for further cultivation at home:
- Drainage and soil are poured into the planting tank.
- Barbs are made with a depth of 1.5-3 cm.
- The seeds are sown at a distance of 2-3 centimeters from each other.
- Next, you need to fill the rows with soil.
- Carry out its (soil) moistening. For example, you can spray from a spray bottle.
- To create greenhouse conditions, the container is covered with foil or glass.
- The pot is placed in a warm (+18 .. + 20 degrees) and dark place.
- When shoots appear, the shelter (greenhouse) is removed, and the container itself is rearranged in a bright place - on the windowsill.
Note! In the next video, the author uses unsuitable ground for growing spinach (not that acidity). In general, everything is shown very well and clearly.
Video: sowing spinach seeds for growing on a windowsill
Transferring spinach from open ground to a pot for growing in an apartment
By the way! It is not necessary to grow spinach from seeds, it is much easier to take and transplant it from the garden.
All that is needed is to dig in the bushes in the fall and transplant them into a pot.
How to care for spinach on a windowsill at home
Caring for spinach is quite simple - maintain optimal light and temperature conditions, as well as water on time.
What should be the place for growing: light and temperature
Spinach is a relatively light-loving plant. It is recommended for him to choose a well-lit southern window sill (either western or eastern, but at least southwest or southeast is better).
The optimal daylight hours are 12-14 hours.
But in order for the sun to not get too hot on especially hot days, burning delicate leaves, it is recommended to shade it.
By the way! Spinach generally does not like direct sunlight and a lot of sunlight, besides, from this it becomes bitter…
In late autumn, winter and early spring days, there is not enough daylight for the shrubs, especially when it is raining outside or simply cloudy. Therefore, for growing spinach in room conditions, it is recommended to additionally install phyto-lamps or full-spectrum LED lamps.
Spinach doesn't need very warm conditions. At a temperature of +15 .. + 18 degrees, the leaves of the plant quickly gain strength and grow to optimal sizes.
And a grown plant with 4-5 leaf plates can be grown at a lower temperature of +10 .. + 14 degrees, but in such a situation the growth of leaf plates will be somewhat slowed down.
Therefore, an insulated balcony or loggia, where the temperature is slightly below room temperature, is quite suitable for growing.
In too warm conditions, spinach bushes quickly begin to wilt, so it is recommended to maintain an optimal cool temperature.
Watering
Watering should be carried out quite often and abundantly, spinach does not tolerate drying out of the soil.
A low level of humidity provokes shooting, spinach throws out peduncles, which should be quickly disposed of so that the plant does not waste extra energy.
Spinach does not require any special feeding.
Dates of germination and harvest of homemade spinach
After sowing spinach, its first shoots, even with preliminary treatment (soaking), you can see in about a week (sometimes earlier).
And already the direct cutting of the foliage (harvesting) will begin only when the plants have fully formed succulent leaves. There will be 5-8 of them, 8-10 centimeters long. In early ripening varieties, such a moment occurs approximately 30 days after the first shoots.
Advice! In order not to interrupt the process of constantly obtaining healthy spinach foliage, you can regularly do new crops.
During harvesting, the foliage can be cut completely, leaving only the outermost young leaves.
Harvesting should be done by gently breaking the leg or cutting with scissors.
It is impossible to pull and tear out the foliage, this can damage the root system.
Thus, spinach can be grown at home, on a windowsill, at any time: in spring, autumn, and even winter. The main thing is to create optimal conditions for the plant and take proper care of it (water it periodically). Growing spinach in an apartment will allow you to feast on healthy leaves at any time, adding them to soups or salads.
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All spinach lovers and those who want to try to grow it with their own hands will find this article useful. In it you will find a lot of useful information about growing spinach at home.
By following the advice from the article, you can forget about buying greens in the store forever: you will always have fresh spinach grown on your table. Read step-by-step instructions on growing it in the open field and on the windowsill only with us.
Features of spinach: growing and care in the open field
Spinach is predominantly an annual, early ripening cold-resistant plant, ranking first among vegetables in iron content, and second only to legumes in protein content.
Note: Almost all B vitamins are isolated in this plant, and the vitamin K content in 100 g of leaves is 4 times higher than the daily norm.
It is also rich in elements such as manganese, potassium, magnesium, and about a hundred other components no less useful for the human body are contained in this plant.
And yet, possessing such wonderful properties, this is still an infrequent guest on our table. This article will tell you more about growing and caring for spinach outdoors.
What you need to grow spinach at home
How to grow spinach at home? Firstly, this plant is quite demanding on soil fertility. Therefore, the first necessary condition for its cultivation should be a cultivated, well-fertilized area.
Note: When choosing a site, it should be borne in mind that vegetable crops are the best predecessors for it, since organic fertilizers have already been applied under them.
Secondly, you need to know that for uninterrupted harvesting throughout spring and summer, it is recommended to plant at several times.
Thirdly, it is important to observe the conditions of care, consisting in weeding and regular watering, loosening the soil and feeding. Let's consider in more detail all the listed conditions.
Peculiarities
Growing spinach along with other greens is something everyone can do. This can be done both in the greenhouse and in the open field, depending on your desires and capabilities. Growing options are shown in Figure 1.
This culture is cold-hardy and unpretentious, almost unaffected by pests and diseases, and has early maturity. It tolerates small (-6-8 degrees) short frosts. Therefore, crops planted before winter can safely overwinter under the snow. It adjoins well with all garden crops.
The plant is light-requiring, therefore, for example, in the Moscow region, spring crops in protected ground begin only at the end of February. It is in greenhouses in early spring that conditions can be created for a good harvest of greenery.
Figure 1. Methods of growing greenery: in the open field, in the greenhouse, on the windowsill and in hydroponics After the snow has completely melted (and this is, as a rule, mid-April), you can start sowing in open ground. For continuous production of greens, such crops are carried out in a conveyor manner, that is, with an interval of 20-30 days. The sown areas are covered with matting or special materials to accelerate the emergence of the first shoots.
In summer, sowing should be preceded by thorough soil moistening. The June and July crops will provide you with greens throughout the fall, and the crops carried out in August become a winter crop.
Care rules
Regardless of how and where you will grow spinach, there are certain rules for caring for the plant (Figure 2):
- After the first shoots appear, weeding and watering should become regular.
- Controlling crop thickening directly affects product quality. Therefore, for the first time, this procedure can be carried out at the stage when 2-3 true leaves appear in the plant. In this case, the torn out sockets can quite safely take root in another bed.
- Watering should be mandatory after transplanting and thinning, in order to maximize the fixation of the roots in the ground.
Since in the summer time the daylight hours are quite long, it becomes necessary to reduce it specifically for this culture. For this purpose, the plants are covered in the morning and in the evening, protecting them from the ingress of light, because its excess leads to the arrow of the plant, which affects the growth of the leaves and their taste.
Conditions
Planting and caring for spinach outdoors requires compliance with certain conditions (Figure 3):
- The soil should be well saturated with organic and mineral substances;
- When sowing, the soil must be moist. The optimum level of soil moisture is maintained during the entire growing season;
- Daylight hours should be optimal for the formation of a lush green mass;
- The density of crops is constantly monitored by removing excess plants;
- Weeding and loosening are carried out regularly.
Figure 2. Care of the garden: weed removal, thinning, feeding and watering Additional feeding is also an important condition. But it will only be required if the soil itself does not have sufficient fertility or has not been fertilized with organic matter.
Growing technology
You should know that in crop rotation, spinach is a precursor of heat-loving crops and a re-crop after green ones. At the same time, it is important to wait a certain period of time when growing a crop over a crop in order to avoid plant diseases.
Note: It is known that the yield of greenery is much larger and better in well-lit areas, especially in spring and autumn, when there is not enough daylight.
Even if the land in the allotted area is fertile enough, it will still not be superfluous to slightly feed it. To do this, it will be enough to add a little organic (half a bucket per 1 sq. M.) And complex mineral fertilizer. Acidic soil additionally needs liming.
All preparatory work is best done in advance, that is, the soil should be prepared for sowing in the fall. This is due to the fact that the introduction of organic matter directly under the crop negatively affects its taste. In addition, in early spring, urea is introduced under a rake in an amount of 20 g per 1 sq.
Note: For continuous production of greens, it can be sown from late April to early August with some time intervals.
Before sowing, it is advisable to soak the seeds for 1-2 days in warm water. The swollen planting material is dried and sown in rows to a depth of 3 cm. The distance between rows should be 30 cm. The sown area should be compacted.
Further care consists in thinning after the appearance of the first true leaves, regular watering, loosening and weeding.
Particular attention should be paid to watering, because spinach is especially sensitive to lack of moisture. This is especially evident during seed germination and after the appearance of a large number of leaves. However, in too humid weather, plants can be damaged by powdery mildew, and in drought conditions - leaf aphids.
The harvest begins to be harvested in the phase of formation of a rosette of 5-8 full-fledged leaves. It is best to cut them early in the morning, while removing yellow and damaged leaves.
Soil for spinach
Spinach prefers fertile or well-fertilized soil. The plant is sensitive to both waterlogging and lack of moisture, as well as to the acidic reaction of the soil. Under unfavorable conditions, the growth of the plant slows down, it turns yellow and dies.
What should be
So what kind of soil should you choose? The best option would be loamy soil. Sandy requires frequent watering. Acidic soil needs to be calcified beforehand, but even then it will not be good enough due to the low content of the required amount of iron. And yet, whatever the soil was initially, it needs some care.
Soil care
Soil care begins with site selection. It should be sunlit and well-drained. In case of stagnant water in the soil, you will have to make a raised bed.
Figure 3. The order of cultivation in the open field For the manufacture of such a bed, it is best to choose a material that does not rot under the influence of water (for example, cedar boards). Do not forget to ask about the acidity of the soil, because the culture prefers slightly acidic soils.
With increased acidity, liming of the soil should be carried out in advance (2-3 months before planting) by adding limestone to it.
To ensure that the soil is sufficiently saturated with nutrients, do not forget to add organic fertilizer (rotted manure, alfalfa and soy flour) to it.
Note: Before applying top dressing, make sure that the area is free of cobblestones and hard lumps of earth, as well as weeds.
The sown soil is mulched with leaves, hay or grass to stop the development of weeds, because the spinach sprouts are too fragile and pulling the weeds can damage the seedlings.
Be sure to spill the planted area. When doing this, remember that a strong jet of water can disrupt the order of the sown seeds or wash them out of the soil. Therefore, use a watering can or a spray nozzle on the hose.
Fertilizing spinach
Most often, fertilization is carried out in the autumn period, when the site is prepared for sowing. In the spring, just before sowing, fertilization with minerals is carried out (for soils with low fertility).
During the growth period, feeding is carried out when absolutely necessary.
The ways
Naturally, the dosage of the applied fertilizers should be combined with the level of soil fertility.
So, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied to fertile soil in the fall. At the same time, the soil is fertilized with humus or rotted manure. In this case, fertilizers are applied while digging the soil.
On less fertile soils, mineral fertilizers (potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen) should be applied immediately before sowing.
But with spring feeding, you should be careful, since the leaves accumulate chemical compounds introduced under the plant (for example, nitrates).
The better
Experienced gardeners prefer autumn soil fertilization. Indeed, during the winter period, she manages to assimilate the nutrients introduced as part of organic feeding. With the arrival of spring, such soil is already ready for cultivation.
Note: Since spinach is a fast-growing crop, the introduction of fresh organic matter directly under it is not recommended, because this is reflected in its taste.
Sometimes there is a need for fertilizing with nitrogenous fertilizers. In this case, it is carried out along with watering. And yet, for such a top dressing there should be quite good reasons, since all substances absorbed from the soil are collected in the leaves of the culture, and it is they that are used for food.
Strawberry spinach: planting and care
Strawberry spinach (raspberry spinach) is both an annual and a perennial herb. Its peculiarity is bright red flowers twisted into spherical balls. They are often mistaken for berries (Figure 4). The plant blooms from mid to late summer and bears fruit between August and September.
The fruits in their shape really resemble strawberries (strawberries), but, unlike berries, they are completely tasteless. Then why is he so good? The leaves are especially juicy, and the plant itself is unpretentious and cold-resistant. It also tolerates drought and hot seasons well.
Note: You can meet this plant near fences and along roads, in garbage dumps and heaps of rubble. Recently, however, it has begun to be grown as a vegetable salad crop.
It differs in average ripening periods and, with the seedling method of growing, the seedlings ripen already in July. In addition, the culture is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests, with the exception of aphids.
Like the usual, strawberry variety is grown from seed or using seedlings. To obtain an earlier harvest, potted seedlings are cultivated. In this case, the seeds begin to be sown in a special substrate in mid-March. The grown seedlings at the age of 30 days are planted in the ground. The landing procedure is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 4. Appearance of strawberry spinach Sowing directly into the prepared soil is possible only after the complete convergence of the snow cover. For this, 4-5 previously prepared seeds are dipped into the prepared holes. The sown area is mulched.
When two true leaves appear on the seedlings, the crops should be thinned out, removing weaker plants. Further care involves weeding, loosening, watering, feeding and tying branches.
Top dressing is carried out twice a season, using organic fertilizers, for example, wood ash, which is embedded in moist soil.
Figure 5. Seed preparation and planting in open ground With good care, the bush grows so much that it "clogs" the rest of the plants, and its branches are literally strewn with berries. Heavy lashes must be tied to previously prepared supports.
Ripe and crumbling berries are perfectly preserved under the snow, and in spring they sprout together. Therefore, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of self-seeding of the plant and take care of the control of growth.
You can squeeze juice from berries, make jam, use for decoration. Young green leaves are added to salads and soups, used as a side dish. In addition, the greens of strawberry spinach lend themselves well to different types of harvesting for the winter.
Growing from seeds
Properly organized seed cultivation will allow you to get a good harvest of this deciduous crop. Growing principles are quite simple and affordable.(Figure 6):
- When choosing a variety, you should know that there are two types of spinach - summer and winter. Summer varieties are grown for their delicate juicy taste and are harvested from late May to late September. Winter varieties are distinguished by their thorny fruits, and they are harvested from October to April.
- Depending on the selected variety, it is planted in open ground. So, summer varieties are sown every few weeks from mid-March to late May. The winter ones are sown in August, and the second time in September.
- Prefer fertile soil with good drainage. An ideal place for the summer will be the aisles of vegetable crops, and for the winter - an area well-lit by the sun.
- If necessary, apply organic fertilizer while digging the area before winter. Complex fertilizers should be applied just before sowing with the arrival of spring.
- Sow seeds 2-3 at a time. into well-moistened soil, embedding them to a depth of about 3 cm at a distance of 60 cm from each other. The shoots that appear soon must be thinned out, leaving stronger shoots.
When caring for spinach, keep the soil well moist and loose, and take care of thinning the seedlings. Starting in October, winter varieties will have to be covered.
Figure 6. Presowing seed treatment Start harvesting when the leaves are large enough and the flesh is tender. Remove the leaves gradually, thereby stimulating the appearance of new ones. Remember that in summer varieties, you can remove up to half of the leaves at the same time, in winter - less than half.
Planting and care in the open field
Most often, a separate plot is not allocated for spinach, but is sown in the spring as a precursor to heat-loving vegetable crops, or in the summer after harvesting early vegetables. Sometimes the crop is grown as a sealant or as a lighthouse plant. And yet, it is better to give preference to the beds where cucumbers, tomatoes and greens were previously grown, because they are the best predecessors.
Although spinach is not a particularly whimsical plant, take care of the fertility of the soil: when digging, add humus (5 kg per 1 sq.m.) or ash (200 g per 1 sq.m.) into it. It would be best to carry out such a top dressing in the fall. If the soil has not been fed, you can add mineral fertilizers to it 2 weeks before sowing.
Note: In order to continuously obtain green products, the crop is sown at intervals of two weeks from mid-April to the end of August.
For autumn consumption, the crop is sown in June - July. The harvest from the August crops is harvested in early spring as a winter crop. In regions where the air temperature does not drop below -12 degrees in winter, the crop of spinach sown in autumn is harvested during the winter.
For the early emergence of seedlings, the seeds are pre-soaked for 1-2 days before they swell. Swollen seeds are sown in the prepared and moistened soil in rows.
So, on light soils, spinach is sown with multi-line ribbons, and on heavy soils, in a two-line method or across the garden. In this case, the seeds are planted to a depth of 4 cm (for loose soil), 2-3 cm (for heavy soil).
Seedling care consists in thinning, regular loosening of row spacings, weeding and watering. After the appearance of two true leaves, the sprouts are thinned at an interval of 10 cm 3-4 days after thinning, the crops can be fed with a urea solution (5-10 g per bucket of water).
Harvested selectively, preferably in the morning. With continuous sowing, the greens are mowed in the phase of 4-5 true leaves.
The author of the video will tell you how to plant spinach seedlings in open ground.
What to do if you don't have your own plot, but you really want to pamper yourself with luscious greenery all year round? Then there is no crop that is more successful than spinach. After all, it can also be grown in pots on a windowsill.
Since this is a cold-resistant plant, it can withstand temperatures down to + 8 degrees, and grows well behind glass until late autumn.
Peculiarities
You should know that the bush on the windowsill brings green foliage within 2 months from the moment the first edible leaves appear. Therefore, after several harvests, the shooting process begins, and the leaves are already unusable. In this regard, it is recommended to update the planting every 2-3 months.
Seeds sown in spring and summer receive a sufficient amount of natural sunlight and are capable of producing a good harvest, provided the substrate in which they grow is fertile and sufficiently moist.
If the sowing of seeds is carried out in the fall, when daylight hours are insufficient, it is worth taking care of artificial lighting. It can be arranged using fluorescent lamps, both during the day, in gloomy weather, and after sunset.
Figure 7. Growing spinach on a windowsill It is recommended to choose vermicompost as a substrate for the plant in combination with coconut fiber (1: 2), which retains moisture well, preventing it from drying out or stagnating in the soil. You can also use universal seedling soil. When purchasing it, pay attention to the acidity level, because spinach does not tolerate acidic soils. Therefore, the composition of the substrate should not contain peat, which contributes to its oxidation. Don't forget about drainage. Thus, on the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to put expanded clay (drainage) with a layer of 2-3 cm, then cover it with a moist substrate.
For indoor growing conditions, early varieties are better suited (Figure 7). It is advisable to pre-soak them for some time to swell. Then dry it and plant it in a special planting pot to a depth of 1.5 cm. Then the pot is covered with cellophane until the first shoots appear and is no longer used.
Note: Wait for the formation of one or two pairs of true leaves and dive the seedlings into permanent containers. Moisten the soil abundantly before removing the seedlings from the planting container. So the root system of plants will more easily transfer the transplant.
After another month, the greens will be ready for use, but remember that after 1-2 months the shooting process will begin, and the plant will become unsuitable for cutting leaves.
To delay this process, be sure to water your plants frequently and abundantly, especially in dry and hot weather. However, make sure that the water does not stagnate in the pot. Daily spraying is also acceptable, especially in winter, when the heating devices are running and the air is dry.
The video shows how to plant and grow spinach on the windowsill with your own hands.
Since spinach is one of the earliest vegetable crops and has sufficient cold resistance, it can be sown quite early (mid-April), as well as crops for the winter.
Note: Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of + 3-4 degrees, but still, + 15-18 degrees will be optimal for growth. Adult plants can tolerate slight frosts, unlike heat, when at +20 it begins to throw out arrows.
The culture develops well on fertile loose soils, well fertilized earlier when growing predecessors, with a neutral reaction.
The application of fresh organic fertilizers directly under the bushes has a negative effect on the taste of the greenery.
Growing and nursing outdoors includes some important rules.:
- The plant is one of the most moisture-loving crops, therefore requires almost daily watering. At the same time, an excessive amount of moisture provokes rotting of the outlets.
- Sowing can be carried out both in early spring and at a later date. For the early emergence of seedlings, it is practiced to soak the seeds for 1-2 days.
- Prepared planting material sown in shallow (2-3 cm) grooves, distributing crops at a distance of 5-8 cm from each other. In this case, the row spacing is about 20 cm.
- The sown soil is slightly compacted and spill gently. After about one to two weeks, the first shoots will appear. After waiting for the first 1-2 true leaves to appear, thinning is carried out, leaving the plants at a distance of 15 cm from each other.
- Follow-up care consists in systematic weeding, loosening and watering. To facilitate the work, you can mulch the soil around the bushes, then you will have to loosen and water much less often.
Watering can be combined with fertilizing with complex fertilizers. However, care must be taken with nitrogenous, phosphorus and potash fertilizers. Nitrogenous ones can contribute to the accumulation of nitrates in the leaves, and phosphorus and potassium ones - accelerate the shooting process.
Spinach: benefits and harms, cultivation
Spinach is the richest source of vitamins and minerals, so its beneficial properties are undeniable.
It saturates the body with nutrients and increases hemoglobin, has a positive effect on metabolism and helps cleanse the body of toxins.
It is clear that with such beneficial properties, these greens are used not only as a food product, but also as a medicine. For example, it is prescribed as an additional diet for patients suffering from radiation sickness. In addition, the use of the plant helps to strengthen the teeth and gums, prevents the appearance of anemia and weakening of blood vessels, stimulates the pancreas and normalizes the intestines.
Note: Unlike rhubarb, spinach can be beneficially consumed by pregnant women and young children. This plant is well absorbed, has a tonic and anti-inflammatory effect, a slight diuretic and laxative effect.
If you are frequently stressed, spinach is your vegetable. He will restore efficiency and put the nervous system in order. Are you constipated? Spinach contains a fairly large amount of fiber and chlorophyll, which stimulate the intestines.
Do you spend a lot of time at the computer? And here spinach will help you, because the lutein contained in it improves visual acuity and reduces eye fatigue. Useful properties are possessed not only by green leaves, but also by juice from them. It is used for both external and internal use.
Drank on an empty stomach, the juice cleanses the body and replenishes energy reserves. For inflammation of the mouth and throat, it can be used as a gargle. Freshly mashed leaves will help with insect bites as it shrinks tumors.
The leaf paste, cooked in olive oil, is used to treat eczema and burns, as well as for cosmetic purposes.
Note: However, people suffering from diseases of the genitourinary system and kidneys, gout and rheumatism, diseases of the duodenum, as well as liver and biliary tract, are not recommended to eat spinach because of the high content of oxalic acid in it.
There is especially a lot of such acid in old leaves, so you shouldn't include dishes from overgrown plants in your diet at all.
Whatever useful properties the plant has, it should be grown in places with favorable environmental conditions: away from roads and industrial zones, and also, at a minimum, resort to chemical means of feeding and protection.
You will learn interesting information about spinach and its beneficial properties from the video.
Spinach is a very healthy and common herb. The plant is annual. Spinach leaves contain up to 90% water, many vitamins, macro- and microelements. Growing spinach in the open field is not at all difficult, you just need to know some subtleties and choose the right place and time of planting.
Why grow spinach
Spinach leaves are similar in appearance to sorrel, but their taste cannot be confused. Spinach has a spicy, slightly bitter taste. And more than one scientific article has been written about the beneficial properties of spinach.These greens are high in fiber, which aids in digestion. Vitamin K normalizes blood pressure and improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The iron in spinach has been shown to heal blood disorders. The amount of vitamins in spinach is much higher than in any other greens. It contains vitamins of group B, C, A, as well as E, which has anti-aging properties. The leaves also contain rare trace elements, which makes spinach indispensable in the diet of any person.
Growing spinach in your own garden will give you the opportunity to provide yourself with vitamins for almost the entire year.
How and when to plant spinach
Spinach is an annual plant. You can plant it at any time. If you want spinach in early spring, sow the seeds in late fall, but in prepared soil. You can also sow seeds from early spring to late summer. So on your table throughout the warm period there will be fresh herbs.To prepare the soil, it should be carefully dug up and fertilized with compost (manure, humus or special fertilizers). Spinach does not grow well in oxidized soil, so lime or chalk is added to the ground during digging. This greenery grows in well-lit areas. It is best to plant spinach after, (any), or.
Preparing the soil for planting spinach
Fertilizers and about seven kg of rotted manure or humus should be added to fertile soil for each square meter of soil. It is best to add fertilizers even at the stage of digging up the soil.If the soil is without black soil, fertilize just before planting the spinach. For one square meter, use:
- 11-12 g of potassium;
- 6 g phosphorus;
- 9-10 g of nitrogen.
Note, however, that spinach leaves absorb nitrates, so only add nitrogen to the soil as a last resort.
Spinach varieties
There are several popular varieties that are most commonly grown outdoors:- Gigantic. It belongs to the early varieties. It takes only two to four weeks from the first shoots to harvest. This variety is suitable for both open ground and greenhouse cultivation. The rosette can grow up to half a meter in diameter.
- Victoria. Late-ripening variety: from the first germination to harvest, it can take 3-6 weeks. However, this variety belongs to high-yielding: from one square. m harvested about three and a half kilograms of spinach. The rosette diameter is about 15 centimeters.
- Fatty. Refers to late-ripening varieties. The collection period is about a month. The rosette diameter is up to 30 centimeters.
- Boa. This variety is intended for very cold regions. Seeds germinate at a temperature of +5 degrees Celsius.
- Matador. The variety was bred in the Czech Republic. Leaves can be harvested one month after the first shoots appear. Usually sown in late autumn or early spring. From 1 sq. meters harvested about 3 kg of the crop.
Seed preparation and planting
Before sowing seeds, soak them in water for two days and leave them in a warm, dark place. The spinach will rise faster by heating it. When you remove the seeds from the water, dry them.Sow spinach in rows with a distance of about 25 cm, the depth of the rows is 1 cm, and the distance between each of the seeds is about five. After placing the seeds in the soil, cover them on top and sprinkle with warm water. Within a week or two, you will see that the spinach has begun to sprout.
If you decide to plant your greens early, when it's still cold, cover the beds with material. When the first leaves grow, remove the material.
Spinach care
Spinach should be looked after and observed as soon as the first shoots appear. Keep the leaves clean and free from weeds.For spinach to grow well, it should be thinned, fertilized and watered, especially in hot weather. You need to feed spinach only with carefully selected fertilizers. This can be done immediately after rain or during watering. You need to weed the spinach about 3-5 times during the entire period of its growth. It is important to remove new seedlings as they interfere and make planting ineffective.
Harvesting
You can pick spinach when it already has 6-8 leaves. The latest option is when flowering appeared. Greens can be cut or mowed. We recommend picking spinach in the middle of the day, when it has dried out from the dew.
You can store cut leaves for up to a week. If you need to use them later, then the spinach can be frozen, while it retains its beneficial properties.
Protection from pests and diseases
Spinach is highly susceptible to disease and pests. Downy mildew is the first to appear; it affects spinach leaves. So, if you see leaves with yellow spots, they should be removed. To avoid the occurrence of such infestation, observe the crop rotation. Plant greens in the same place no earlier than three years later.Often pests interfere with spinach cultivation:
- caterpillars;
- cabbage scoop.
The caterpillars must be collected and removed from the crop. To prevent their appearance, weeds should be removed in time, and the crops should not be too thick.
Growing spinach will not take you much time and effort, caring for it is simple. But there will always be fresh herbs on your table. You can also freeze spinach and use it to prepare various dishes, even in the cold season.