How to Grow Spinach Indoors. Spinach is a nutritious and delicious vegetable that can help treat a wide range of illnesses and medical issues, such as reducing fatigue and enhancing cognitive abilities. Additionally, it will broaden your selection of leafy greens during the winter. It can be used and prepared in a variety of ways.
How to Grow Spinach Indoors
Young, fresh leaves are typically used for salads, while larger, older leaves are typically cooked. Extra leaves can be blanched and frozen to be used at a later time. The best part is that you can produce this nutritious vegetable without a garden. All you need for indoor spinach cultivation is a window ledge or balcony.
What Is Spinach?
Central and western Asia is where spinach first appeared. It is a rather hardy plant, able to withstand mild winters. In fact, spinach tastes best in the early spring, which makes it popular in various cuisines around the world as it is frequently the first vegetable available after a long winter.
Can You Grow Spinach Indoors:
The nicest thing about growing spinach indoors is that you may do so throughout the entire year. In addition, spinach plants do very well inside. Water, potting soil/potting mix, and seeds are all you’ll need. Additionally, a few tiny pots or containers that are at least 6 to 12 inches deep.
Because growing spinach indoors in pots requires little maintenance, even those with little to no gardening knowledge can grow spinach indoors and reap its health advantages. All you need to do is give your spinach plants the proper soil or potting mix, fertiliser, and water on a regular basis.
The steps for producing spinach indoors are as follows:
- Make the soil mixture. It should have organic matter in the soil with a neutral pH.
- Fill the pots with the seeds.
- Particularly if you reside in a tropical climate, keep it cool. Limit its exposure to sunlight to 4 to 6 hours every day to avoid damaging it.
- Regularly water it.
- Mulch and fertilise as necessary.
- Do not forget to inspect for diseases and pests.
- Leaf thinning
- Happy harvesting!
Spinach Varieties You Can Grow Indoors:
You should first be aware of the three varieties of spinach plants so you can make a decision based on preference.
- Savoury: This kind does well in cold climates but requires regular and accurate leaf cleaning.
- Semi-savoury: This kind is more resilient to illnesses and bolting. They are a great choice for indoor or backyard gardening. Teton, Catalina, Indian summer, and Tyee are the four primary types; Tyee is the best for year-round growth.
- Smooth Leaves: This kind features flat, smooth leaves that are simple to clean. This kind is typically employed for freezing or canning.
You must take into account how much sunlight you can supply and the climate where you live when deciding which varieties of spinach to grow indoors. The greatest plant varieties for a tropical climate include Catalina, Indian Summer, Bloomsdale Longstanding, and Malabar because they thrive in hot, muggy conditions. It is preferable to select spinach kinds that thrive in cold climates and are winter tolerant. Winter Bloomsdale and Tyee are two of these.
Growing Spinach In Pots:
You don’t need particularly deep pots, but you will need broad pots to provide enough room for the spinach plants to continue to develop and spread, so pick a pot that is between 6 and 10 inches deep. Spinach seeds should be sown at a depth of about half an inch.
The germination time for spinach is between 7 and 14 days. It’s important to keep the soil cool and moist during germination; the ideal temperature is around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fast-growing spinach requires soil that is rich in organic matter and has been amended with compost or fertiliser to help retain water.
1. Seeds And Planting
The finest seeds to use when planting spinach for the first time are those from various types. The spinach seeds should be soaked in warm water for a day a week before planting. As a result, there will be more seeds that will germinate. Dry them off with a paper towel once you take them out of the water.
Place the seeds in an airtight container and keep them in a cool location for a week after soaking them in water. This will allow the seeds to go through the first two stages of germination by holding in enough moisture. Spread the spinach seeds evenly throughout the pot and cover them with a half-inch layer of soil when the seeds are ready to be planted.
2. Growing Spinach Seedlings
To develop seedlings, you’ll need a seed tray or other container with cells and universal soil. At a depth of roughly half an inch in the earth, plant a seed in each of the cells. Wet the soil and use a film to protect the crops. Maintain a temperature of between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the film after 10 days. Transplant your seeds into pots whenever you notice that they are flourishing and want more room.
3. Spacing
You should give spinach adequate room to develop. Three inches will do if you want to collect young spinach leaves. Give the plants extra room, at least 5 to 6 inches, if you want to harvest larger leaves.
4. Soil
Use loamy soil that is rich in the organic matter when growing spinach in pots or other containers. The best choice for growing spinach indoors is well-draining soil; the pH of the soil should be neutral, and you should avoid soil that clogs the drainage holes.
5. Temperature and Lighting
Since spinach is a cool-season crop, ideal growing temperatures should range from 50 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Young spinach will bolt when exposed to temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, although mature plants can even withstand lower temperatures, down to 20 degrees. Generally speaking, a temperature range of 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for growth.
6. Watering And Care
Depending on the variety of spinach you are growing, you should expose the plant to direct sunshine for at least 4 to 6 hours per day if you are growing it on a balcony or window sill. Although spinach grows best in bright sunlight, it can also be grown under some shade.
LED lights are the ideal option if you’re growing spinach indoors without access to sunshine. In their early stages, spinach seedlings need between 14 and 15 hours of light per day, while mature spinach plants should receive between 8 and 10 hours.
7. Fertilizing And Mulching
The finest fertilisers for producing spinach are those based on nitrogen. A balanced liquid fertiliser or even manure are other options. Compost, manure tea, or fish emulsion can all help your plant get the nutrients it needs to flourish. Remember that you should fertilise spinach after it has sprouted, not when it is nearly finished growing.
Even if you plant spinach in pots, you should still mulch because it will aid in moisture retention and boost soil richness. However, exercise caution as excessive mulching may bury and smother the plant.
Diseases And Pests
Pests won’t be a major concern for you because you’ll be growing spinach indoors. Nevertheless, keep an eye out for insects that feed on leaves, like aphids and leaf miners.
By growing basil, chamomile, or dill next to or between your spinach, you can get around this issue. These are known to deter pests and treat the issue naturally, eliminating the need for chemical sprays.
Growing Spinach from Seeds:
You can either plant spinach seeds or allow the crop to regenerate from the roots. Spinach can be grown from seeds, and you have the option of planting the seeds directly into the pot or using a seed tray first. Select a wide-mouthed pot with a depth of 6 to 8 inches. As a planter for the spinach, you can also use a garden box, a wooden box, or even a crate.
Plant the seeds in soil that is 12 inches deep. Within five to fourteen days of sowing the seeds, they should start to grow. The growing environment and crop variety will have an impact on how quickly spinach seeds germinate. The crop’s real leaves won’t emerge for 2 to 3 days if you’re using a seed tray. When the spinach’s true leaves have grown, it is time to transplant it.
Spinach prefers bright light, but it can also thrive under some shade. The spinach should be shielded from the afternoon sun to prevent scorching. Given that spinach grows quickly, we advise starting your seedlings early in the summer. The spinach seedlings can then be easily replanted alongside the rest of your hardy, heat-loving crops. While spinach will grow in a variety of soils, it prefers loamy, moist soil that drains well and has been enriched with organic compost.
Harvesting Spinach in Pots:
The spinach is suitable for harvesting between 37 and 50 days after germination. Generally speaking, you can begin harvesting spinach as soon as it has at least 6 healthy leaves and has grown to a height of at least 4 inches. The leaves can be collected using a pair of scissors. Prior to cutting the inner leaves, leave the outer leaves alone so they can continue to grow. The entire plant can also be chopped off at the root. The plant will grow once again.
To prevent the spinach leaves from becoming too bitter to eat, you should begin harvesting them before the plant begins to produce blossoms. When it’s hot and humid outside, flowers are more likely to bloom. The spinach plant will grow an upright stalk from which yellow or green blossoms will emerge. The spinach’s leaves will thicken as it blooms, and they will start to taste bitter. We refer to this as bolting.
As you can see, it’s quite simple to produce spinach in containers. But bear in mind all the gardening advice we’ve provided above if you want to enjoy a plentiful harvest. Don’t forget to sign up for our email for additional information and resources on gardening!
