Cutting spinach . . . will it grow back?

Bruce 01 · Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:58 am

Hi: I'm wondering if I can cut spinach off and will it grow back like Swiss Chard does? I've never grown it before and don't have much room, so it would be ideal if it would grow back because I like it better than Chard.

soil · Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:11 am

we selectively harvest outer leaves too, this gives us spinach whenever we want.

also lambs quarters is even better than spinach. and takes almost no effort to grow.

Bruce 01 · Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:26 pm

Marlingardener wrote:Yes, spinach will re-grow. It is easier to pick the outer leaves (while they are still young and tender) and leave the center to grow. That way you don't have any "down time" waiting for your spinach to reappear.
My husband agrees with you that spinach is preferable to chard. Of course, chard is easier to grow here in Texas !

Thanks for the info.

I don't have any trouble growing chard either, but I don't care for it raw in a salad; spinach I like raw or cooked. I just planted 3 rows of it.

Bruce 01 · Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:30 pm

soil wrote:we selectively harvest outer leaves too, this gives us spinach whenever we want.

also lambs quarters is even better than spinach. and takes almost no effort to grow.

I've heard of lamb's quarters but didn't know anything about it, so I looked it up. Apparently it grows wild nearly everywhere.

But it gets to be 3 meters (slightly over 3 feet) high, and I only have a small raised bed garden and can't really put anything that high in it.

PunkRotten · Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:02 pm

Hmm I think I have seen lambs quarter growing in my backyard. Never knew it was good so I have been destroying it. Next time I see one pop up I will snap a pic and get and ID. Pretty cool if it is, I get free food without any effort.

orgoveg · Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:17 pm

You don't have to let the lamb's quarters grow that tall and you really don't want to. The leaves of the young plants are delicious and they become more bitter as the plant gets bigger. Once they reach that point, you would only want to pick the new silvery tips and it takes oodles of them just for a snack.

Bruce 01 · Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:18 pm

orgoveg wrote:You don't have to let the lamb's quarters grow that tall and you really don't want to. The leaves of the young plants are delicious and they become more bitter as the plant gets bigger. Once they reach that point, you would only want to pick the new silvery tips and it takes oodles of them just for a snack.

Is there a domesticated version one can buy? If not, then you have to get it wild? That would be no problem for me, other than being able to identify it.

klevelyn · Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:57 pm

Spinach grow well in the early spring here and I a have cut it 4 times. I cut the outer leaves and leave a few in the center. It just keeps growing if it stays cool.

FruitAddict · Tue Apr 17, 2012 11:54 am

My Organic Gardening book also says Lambs Quarter is good for attracting "hover flies" to the garden which eats "aphids" and it also high in iron, protein, calcium, and Vitamin B. I usually let a few plants grow in my garden for the bugs but have never tried to eat it before now I will have to try it.

I learn so much from this forum!! Thank you.

cynthia_h · Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:09 pm

Bruce 01 wrote:
I've heard of lamb's quarters but didn't know anything about it, so I looked it up. Apparently it grows wild nearly everywhere.

But it gets to be 3 meters (slightly over 3 feet) high, and I only have a small raised bed garden and can't really put anything that high in it.

1 meter = 39.37 inches (just over 3 feet)

If lamb's quarters gets to be 3 meters high, that's almost 10 feet tall. I've never grown it, nor does it seem to be present in my yard or my neighbors' yards, so I can't venture a guess. Lamb's ears grow everywhere around here, but cling to the ground, so they'd get to be maybe 10" (25 cm) tall.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Bruce 01 · Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:27 pm

cynthia_h wrote:
Bruce 01 wrote:
I've heard of lamb's quarters but didn't know anything about it, so I looked it up. Apparently it grows wild nearly everywhere.

But it gets to be 3 meters (slightly over 3 feet) high, and I only have a small raised bed garden and can't really put anything that high in it.
1 meter = 39.37 inches (just over 3 feet)

If lamb's quarters gets to be 3 meters high, that's almost 10 feet tall. I've never grown it, nor does it seem to be present in my yard or my neighbors' yards, so I can't venture a guess. Lamb's ears grow everywhere around here, but cling to the ground, so they'd get to be maybe 10" (25 cm) tall.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

1 meter = 39.37 inches (just over 3 feet). If lamb's quarters gets to be 3 meters high, that's almost 10 feet tall.

Ha! You are quite right. I don't know what I was thinking.