Organic Milk Spinach Seeds Open-Pollinated

Spinach is a Vitamin-C and mineral-rich dietary companion that is one of the few crops to tolerate cold weather. It is easier to grow and could be harvested fresh within 60 days of sowing. It is the best crop choice during fall and spring. Though spinach is a commonly available vegetable, growing spinach at home will ensure it is pesticide-free. Homegrown spinach further gives the satisfaction of knowing it's free from bacteria like e-Coli. 

Benefits/ Uses

• Spinach is high in insoluble fibre which is great for the digestive tract. 100 grams of spinach contains 2.2 grams of fibre.
• Vitamin C is essential to improve immunity, regulate bone formation and fasten wound healing. Spinach is rich in vitamin-C.
• The potassium, folic acid and antioxidants in spinach makes it a neurological booster, a superfood that enhances overall health. In addition, folic acid is beneficial for pregnant women as it helps cellular growth.
• Spinach is also rich in carotenoids that are essential for the formation of Vitamin A.
• Spinach also contains lutein, zeaxanthin that improves eye health.

Specifications

Sowing and Caring

• Use a comfortable Grow bag like Seed2Plant HDPE 24x9 spinach grow bags to plant.
• Use organically enriched potting mix like the one we have to pot the seeds. Spinach requires high nitrogen fertilizers like cattle manure or vermicompost. Leave a one-inch gap from the top of the soil to plant.
• Make sure each seed is planted with a space of 8 inches (20cm). 
• Keep the soil slightly loose for the roots to breathe. 
• Spinach grows well in mild climates. Thus avoid keeping the spinach grow bags in direct sun. Place it in a position of the mild shade. Until seedling sprouts, cover the seeds with a light cloth (if possible).
• Water appropriately such that the soil is moist and not soggy. Water early in the morning to keep the roots nourished throughout the day, 
• Fertilize once in 2 weeks with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. It is advisable to add a fish emulsion fertilizer like the naturally processed fish amino acid concentrator when the first four true leaves sprouts. 

Harvest

• Spinach can be harvested as soon as the leaves grow big enough to eat. It generally takes about six to eight weeks from planting to harvest.
• Spinach is a cool-season crop and thus in spring and summer, it is essential to harvest before the leaves start to bolt. Bolting happens when the spinach starts flowering and showing spots on the leaves. If the leaves bolt, the spinach becomes bitter to eat.
• Harvest the spinach by carefully removing the outer leaves. One should either pinch at the base of the petiole (petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaves to the stem) with your fingers or by using gardening shears to prune the base of the petiole.

Common Problems

• Diseases such as Anthracnose, Stemphylium leaf spot, Downy Mildew, Cladosporium Leaf spot, root rot affect spinach often. Spinach is prone to attacks from pests like Aphids, Slugs, Cutworms, Snails, Flea Beetles, and Leaf Miners.
• Besides pest attacks and diseases, bolting is a common problem in spinach. From sowing, the plant should be ready to harvest between 45-60 days. After harvest days have passed, spinach leaves get bitter.

Precautions

• Adding nitrogen-rich organic manure like the Seed2Plant Azospirillum Nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer to the soil will stimulate the growth of the spinach.
• Application (foliar spraying) of neem oil like Seed2Plant Water-soluble neem oil will prevent pests. In addition, the affected parts of the leaves should be pruned to prevent the spreading of disease or pests larvae to other parts.