7 Tips for Growing Spinach in Raised Beds
Are you looking for a new vegetable to grow in your raised bed? Have you tried spinach? In this article, gardening expert Jill Drago gives you her top 7 tips for growing spinach in raised beds.
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Spinach is such a versatile vegetable. It’s hard for me to remember a day that I haven’t used it in my cooking in one way or another. This veggie is loaded with iron and other vitamins, making it a great and very easy way to boost your vitamin intake.
Spinach is a leafy green that produces deep green leaves that are ready for harvest in about one month. When the weather warms up, it will produce spikes with yellow-green flowers to signal that it is going to seed.
This veggie grows in an erect habit and has shallow root systems. When you pair this with its harvesting season, you have yourself the perfect raised bed plant. Let’s take a look at how to make the most out of your spinach crop.
Pick the Right Raised Bed
If you do not already own a raised bed, shopping for one can be a lot of fun. There are many wonderful options on the market, which can make it a bit overwhelming at times. I personally like Birdies raised beds because they are customizable and so cute! That being said, you should choose a raised bed that you like the most and that is the right size for your space.
If you do not have enough space to dedicate to a larger bed, or maybe you just don’t want to plant that much, patio pots and window boxes are well-suited for spinach, too.
Spinach has shallow roots, which means you can plant it in just about any container. The size of your container or raised bed will be directly related to how much you need to water your spinach. The less soil in the container, the more you’ll need to water your plants. So keep that in mind while you’re shopping!
Plant at the Right Time
Spinach can be grown easily from seed. You can also purchase plants from your local garden center if that is what works best for you.
If you plan to grow your spinach from seed, you should sow your seeds four to six weeks before your average last frost date. Fill your garden bed with good-quality garden soil and compost. Spinach seeds should be planted ½ inch deep in rows 12-18 inches apart. Once your seedlings begin to germinate, thin out your rows so that plants are no closer than six inches apart.
To keep your spinach crop coming, plant in succession. Sow new seeds every three weeks throughout the season until you are about one month from your first average frost in the fall. Remember, spinach will bolt in high heat, so your crop will not be as prolific in the hot summer months. However, it will pick back up again as the season begins to cool. In areas where it gets hot in summer, try growing spinach from fall through spring.
Spinach is a cold-tolerant and a shade-tolerant green. If you are looking for a veggie to grow in a shady space, spinach is perfect.
Choose the Best Variety
There really is no wrong variety of spinach. With so many different types of spinach available, you should select a variety that is accessible to you, sounds delicious, and will suit your culinary needs. All are loaded with plentiful nutrients for your salad plate.
Spinach ‘Baby Greens’
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botanical name Spinacia oleracea (hybrid) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2-4 inches |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
‘Baby Greens’ is exactly what it says. Meant to be harvested when the leaves are between two and four inches tall, ‘Baby Greens’ spinach is tender and delicious. This is a great variety to grow in containers or indoors for easy harvesting. The leaves will be dark green and smooth in texture. Add to salads, sandwiches, or smoothies for an extra nutrition boost!
Spinach ‘Bloomsdale’
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botanical name Spinacia oleracea |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-8 inches |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
‘Bloomsdale’ is a variety that has been around since the 1800s. Tried and true, ‘Bloomsdale’ can be harvested early for baby spinach. If it is left to grow a bit longer, the leaves will reach up to eight inches long. ‘Bloomsdale’ is full of flavor and nutrition.
Spinach ‘Oceanside’
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botanical name Spinacia oleracea (hybrid) |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-6 inches |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
‘Oceanside’ spinach is a versatile variety that can be grown both for tender baby greens or mature leaves. The leaves of this variety are smooth and uniform. Use them in salads or on sandwiches, or try making a pesto with spinach instead of basil.
Plant Good Companions
When you are working in a raised bed, space can be limited! It is important to use every inch of space to maximize your harvest.
Plants such as garlic, cucumbers, beans, chives, and other herbs make excellent companions for spinach.
Garlic and chives are good companions for spinach for a couple of reasons. Firstly, their aroma helps to keep pests away from the spinach. Secondly, these plants take up space and have a longer growing season than spinach. Garlic and chives don’t really start to kick in until after the spinach season has nearly ended.
Cucumbers and beans are excellent at providing shade for spinach plants. Since spinach bolts when the weather begins to heat up, the shade from cucumbers and beans can help to lengthen the growing season of spinach.
Avoid planting spinach with potatoes, corn, peppers, and eggplant. These crops can introduce pests into your garden that can wipe out your spinach crop. They also have different growing conditions than spinach, which will cause either your spinach or your other crops to suffer.
Protect Your Plants
Once your seeds have germinated, it’s time to keep them safe! These yummy greens will be a prime target for critters such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer. The raised bed will help to keep some of these pests away, but you can never be too safe!
Using garden hoops and a mesh is an easy and chemical-free way to keep your plants safe. Simply place the hoops in the soil of your garden bed and drape the mesh over the top. You can also use stakes or clips to keep the mesh from blowing away in the winds.
Keep your eyes peeled for aphids! If you notice these tiny green insects on your spinach plants, hose the plants down immediately! This will knock them off of your plants.
Water and Fertilize
When you are growing any crops in a raised bed, watering can look a little different than when you are growing straight into the ground. The water can be limited in containers, so you may need to water your plants supplementally. Spinach should be watered frequently enough that the soil remains moist but not too soggy. Because these plants have shallow roots, it is better to water them a few times a week rather than one deep soaking. If you are concerned that your spinach will dry out too quickly, consider adding mulch to your raised bed. This will also help to keep weeds at bay, which will allow your spinach plants to grow happily without much competition.
Most crops require some sort of fertilizer, and spinach is no different. These plants grow quickly, and we can harvest the leaves at many points throughout their growing period. This requires a lot of nutrition.
- Start off with a nutrient-dense compost to give your plants a boost right from the start.
- Select a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen.
- Once your seedlings have been thinned and have more than two leaves, you can begin fertilizing.
- Follow the labeled instructions for the product you have selected.
- Continue to fertilize throughout the season.
Be Ready to Harvest
Spinach will be ready for harvest about one month after you’ve planted your seeds, though some varieties may need a few more weeks. The timing will depend on how large you want your spinach leaves to be.
You can cut the entire spinach plant down with clean shears if you think you will be able to eat all of it in a short period. Cut about an inch above the soil line, and separate the leaves as you wash them in the sink. You may see your plant produce another batch of leaves.
If you only need a few leaves, start by cutting off the older leaves first. Leaving the youngest leaves on the plant will allow the spinach to mature and produce more leaves for a more bountiful harvest.
If your weather is warming up and you are concerned about your spinach bolting, harvest everything! The same goes for a deep freeze. This veggie stores beautifully in the freezer for later use. Simply place the spinach leaves into a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible to prevent any potential freezer burn!
Final Thoughts
There are many benefits to growing your produce in raised beds. Oftentimes, it is easier on our backs and can help keep some of the wildlife from feasting on our precious plants. Spinach is an excellent choice for a raised bed because it grows in the cooler seasons, which will leave plenty of room for your tomatoes and other summertime crops that will take up a bit more space.
If you love growing spinach and your family eats a lot of it, I recommend succession planting in the spring and again in the fall. Growing spinach is not just limited to raised beds. This crop makes a great option for smaller patio pots or even window boxes. In areas with cold winters, plant spinach indoors and grow microgreens.
