Garden Care Guide

Spinach Care

Spinacia oleracea

A hardy, cool-season leafy vegetable. It bolts quickly once the days lengthen and warm up; it is sown in autumn and harvested throughout winter.

Hardy · -10 °C / 14 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.
  • Frost risk: Spinach tolerates down to -10 °C; in harder frosts, cover it with a light fleece cover.
February
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Spring sowing is also possible; however, once the days lengthen the plant bolts quickly, so harvest early.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.
March
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Spring sowing is also possible; however, once the days lengthen the plant bolts quickly, so harvest early.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 2 cm deep, 25-30 cm between rows; after emergence, thin the plants to leave 8-10 cm between them.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rain, water 1-2 times a week; the soil should not stay constantly wet.
  • Fertilizing: Apply a light nitrogen fertilizer 3-4 weeks after emergence; if the leaf color is pale green, nitrogen is lacking.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Sow the seeds directly 2 cm deep, 25-30 cm between rows; after emergence, thin the plants to leave 8-10 cm between them.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
November
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.
  • Pests & diseases: After humid, cool nights, look for yellowish or brown, oily-looking spots on the leaves and mold on the undersides (downy mildew; on tomato and potato, late blight); remove diseased leaves immediately and do not water in a way that wets the leaves.
  • Pests & diseases: After rain and in the evening hours, check the young leaves for irregular holes and shiny slime trails (snails, slugs); picking them off by hand is the most effective method.
December
  • Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
  • General care: Harvest: Pick the outer leaves as needed once 4-6 leaves have formed, or cut the whole plant just above the root.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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