Spinach: Plant now for a good winter crop

PEOPLE are looking to eat more healthily and spinach is back on the menu – and there is still time to enjoy a home-grown crop.

Spinach contains high levels of beta-carotine and lutein, which can protect against age-related eye disease.

It is also a good source of dietary fibre as well as vitamins A and C. There are two varieties of spinach – winter and summer – both of which grow well in temperate climates. Winter spinach is sown in early to mid autumn for use during the winter months.

It makes a good follow-on crop to some of the year’s earlier sowings. With winter yields in mind, choose an open site with some shelter from cold winds and rake in a general fertiliser at 70g per sq m.

Sow the seeds in drills 2cm to 3cm deep and about 30cm apart. Thin the seedlings to stand 23cm apart.

If the soil is dry at the time of sowing, water the drills well beforehand. Once established there should be no watering problem as the normal rainfall will be enough.

Although the plants are hardy they give a better and cleaner crop if some protection can be given, ideally with cloches during the winter months.

Picking can begin as soon as the leaves are large enough.

Cut the largest leaves off close to the stem, taking a few from each plant. Leaf production in the winter months is slower than summer, so take the leaves sparingly.

In early spring a dressing of nitrochalk at 35g per sq m will help the plants along, by increasing production of leafy growth which in turn will help to give you earlier spinach pickings.

Summer spinach should be sown every three weeks from late

February until August in drills 2.5cm deep 30cm apart.

When large enough to handle the plants should be thinned to 15cm to 29cm apart.

Because summer spinach is quick to bolt in dry weather, it is essential to keep plants well watered throughout the season.

Sow small amounts of seed regularly to ensure a continuous supply.

There is still time to enjoy a summer spinach crop if you sow a row of Bordeaux.

Baby leaves will be ready for picking after 30 days until the plants are hit by first frost.