What are Best Temperatures for Growing Spinach
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:44 am
What temperatures are safe for growing spinach?
I used to plant spinach as well as other veggies that said [as soon as soil can be worked] in February. While it is true that the seeds will germinate, the plants simply sit there until the nightime freezes stop and the daytime highs get up into the 60's or warmer. Probably is more related to the soil temperature but have never really investigated. But anyway, from that very early planting the young spinach plants stay very small and vulnerable to damage. So many years ago I just started waiting, and now plant all of those early crops in mid march here in S.C. They seem to do at least as well, and it seems that I don't have plant loss of the tender young plants, nearly as much as when planting a month earlier. My spinach grows well from the time the temperature is in the sixties until the temperature stabilizes somewhere in the upper 80's. Then the plants begin to bolt and go to seed. Succession planting will likely extend the harvest somewhat, as young plants are a bit more resistant to bolting than older plants. Plants exposed to cold periods are more succeptible to bolting than those that were planted after the cold snaps. At least that is my observation/impression. In any event, the spinich will not last very long after temperatures start visiting the 90's.Plant spinach as soon as the soil can be prepared in the spring. If the soil was prepared in the fall, seeds can be broadcast over frozen ground or snow cover in late winter. Seeds will germinate as the soil warms. Plant successive crops for several weeks after the initial sowing to keep the harvest going until hot weather. Seed spinach again in late summer for fall and early winter harvest. Chill seeds for summer or fall plantings in the refrigerator for 1or 2 weeks before planting.
