If there’s a king of greens, a lot of people would name the reliable and versatile spinach. It’s a great source of vitamins and minerals that can be added to salads, sandwiches, and even dips. But that’s not the only good part. The best part is you can actually grow them yourself! Learn how to grow spinach from seeds and other tricks to get this plant going through the list below!
Here are a few spinach-growing tips to start before we get into this hack
While spinach is not particularly fussy, it does have some needs. Firstly, its soil should be moist and nutrient-rich.
There’s a golden rule, however, on how to grow organic spinach. You should also ensure enough space between the seeds you plant so that there isn’t any overcrowding when the plant grows. Overcrowding could hurt your crop yield.
Lastly, make sure the leaves are nice and long (3-4 inches) before you cut them to eat. That’s when they’ll be the tastiest.
How to grow spinach from seeds: begin by recycling egg cartons
It might help to initially plant the seeds in a smaller area.
Using egg cartons will help you determine a good amount of space between each planting, and the shallower dirt will help initially.
Cover the egg cartons with dirt fully, but make sure you can see the ridges in between the sections. That will help you find the dips in the egg cartons and know where to dig to bury your seeds.
Plant the seeds and make sure you water them well for a few days. Before you know it, you’ll see a spinach seedling emerging from the soil.
Once the seedlings have grown a bit, transfer them to a bigger planter
Remember that throughout the spinach growth stages, keeping them well hydrated and nourished is the key. Watering spinach should be done regularly. Eventually, the seedlings will get bigger and will need to be transplanted.
Although in this video they make a wooden planter for the spinach, you can also just transfer the plant to the ground.
Whatever method you prefer, make sure that you leave enough space between each plant.
Although the plants seem small at this stage, they will get bigger and leafier, and you don’t want one plant to crowd out another one.
Now, the plants can be planted a bit deeper so the roots can hold more soil.
Now the innovative plastic recycling begins
Gather your supply of liter-sized plastic water bottles. You should have exactly one per seedling.
Take the caps off and cut off the bottoms of the plastic, then insert each bottle into the dirt over one seedling each.
Over time, the plastic bottles will collect condensation in them. The plastic will also help to trap in some heat.
Spinach grows best in cooler climates, but it is still vital to protect the seedlings from frost or cold weather that would kill the plants before they had the chance to flourish.
This plastic bottle trick will kill two birds with one stone by recycling plastic and keeping seedlings safe.
Leave the spinach in the bottles for 40 days
Your spinach plants will be so much bigger and happier now. Now it’s time to cut them at the bottom of their stems, but don’t pull the roots out.
Keeping the roots in will mean that you can regrow more spinach. Leafy greens for days.
There are so many yummy recipes you can try with your spinach plants
But spinach sautéed in garlic is a timeless classic. The gardeners behind this video also suggest adding some oyster sauce for a bit of a kick.
Takeaway
Don’t be intimidated to learn how to grow spinach indoors or outdoors. This leafy vegetable is beginner friendly just as long as you have good soil and the time to look after them.
Learning how to grow spinach from seeds is a fulfilling process, especially when you harvest the first ones and turn them into your favorite meals. If you want to know more about growing spinach from seed, check out the video below.
Source: Good Housekeeping, Home & Garden, HomeGuides