Grow spinach at home

Spinach is a plant that contains a large amount of nutrients and fortified elements. Under normal natural conditions, it is grown outdoors in the open field, but in order to get useful trace elements in the middle of winter, many plant spinach seeds in flowerpots on the windowsill. By following the planting rules and controlling the condition of the shrub, you can get a fortified complex from fresh vegetables all year round.

Features of growing spinach on a windowsill

It is possible to grow spinach on a windowsill at any time of the year. The plant gets along well in small low flowerpots. For good germination, it is recommended to use nutrient soils sold in specialized flower shops.

Having planted the plant in a flowerpot, spinach should be placed on the south side and watered periodically, preventing the earth from drying out. The main thing is to keep away from heating devices or, if there is no other possibility, then much more often than usual to irrigate the foliage from a spray bottle.

Important! In order not to interrupt the process of constant germination of spinach seeds and harvesting, it is required to plant seeds at intervals of 2 weeks.

With careful home caring for spinach and following all the rules of growing, you can get a set of nutritious vitamins without leaving your home.

Which spinach varieties are suitable for growing on a windowsill

Before you start growing spinach on the windowsill, you should purchase high-quality planting material. You need to carefully study the products and familiarize yourself with those varieties that are ideal for planting indoors.

Experienced gardeners distinguish the following varieties of spinach, which perfectly tolerate greenhouse conditions and give a bountiful harvest in the form of deciduous cover:

• Fat-leaved - a variety of medium ripening, ready for use after 35-40 days after the first shoots appear. Its foliage is distinguished by a fleshy structure and embossed coating. Numerous leaf plates are collected in rosettes with a volume of 25-30 cm.
• Gigantic - Ripening period - 30 days from the moment the first shoots appear. Its peculiarity lies in its delicate taste, due to which the foliage of the plant is often used to prepare food for children or to supplement with canning.The foliage is of medium size, forms a dense rosette, which is recommended to be cut completely under the base when harvesting. The leaf plates have a pale light green hue.
• Matador - the variety is a high-yielding plant, characterized as a hybrid. It belongs to the types of late readiness. The foliage is represented by smooth, juicy, grayish tones. The tops taste juicy, similar to sorrel. The variety is well adapted to unfavorable conditions. Not afraid of cold weather, diseases and pests. Ripening time after sowing varies within 35-50 days.
• And also many others, for example, Robust, Virofle, Stoic, Victoria.

Thus, all varieties differ significantly from each other both in appearance and in internal characteristics. Therefore, in order to determine the most suitable variety, it is worth planting several packages of seeds in different flowerpots. Only then can you understand which type of spinach is most suitable for you according to all criteria.

How to plant and grow spinach on the windowsill: features, conditions and step-by-step instructions

After the desired variety has been selected, you should start preparing the planting material, soil for its rooting and, most importantly, choose the optimal place to obtain maximum illumination and warmth. To do this, planting spinach at home requires a competent approach and performing all stages of growing according to certain rules.

What should be the place for growing

Spinach is a fairly light-loving plant. It is recommended for him to choose well-lit south windowsills... But in order for the sun in spring and summer days to not bake too much, burning delicate leaves, it is recommended to shade it.

In autumn-winter days, the daylight hours are not enough for the shrubs, especially when it is raining outside, or it is simply cloudy. Therefore, for growing spinach in room conditions, it is recommended to additionally install phytolamps.

Spinach grows well under normal room conditions, as well as on the balcony. At a temperature regime of +14 .. + 18 С, the leaves of the plant quickly gain strength and grow to optimal sizes. The shrub can be grown at a temperature of +7 .. + 10 C, but in such a situation, the growth of leaf plates will be somewhat slowed down.

In hot conditions, on the contrary, the leaves will burn and begin to wither. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain an optimal regime that is most suitable for the growth of the nutritious plant.

For the plant, periodic, but moderate watering should be carried out. This addition of nutritious moisture will have a beneficial effect on the taste of spinach. In addition, the shrub responds favorably to spraying leaf plates with water at room temperature. Exposure to leaf plates increases the moisture near the plant, otherwise the reduced moisture level provokes the development of shooting in the bush and the formation of seed material.

Container for planting spinach.

Before planting work, it is required to determine the further fate of the plant - harvesting will be carried out immediately from the pot without transplanting, or a dive of the grown seedlings is envisaged.

If a planting is meant for cutting the finished material, then it is worth immediately planting it in a selected pot. For this purpose, it is required to purchase a shallow, long and wide pot. You can take an ordinary flowerpot for planting flowers, but there must be holes in it for excess nutrient moisture to drain out.

Since the plant will first grow and then move to another container, then initially small containers are taken for planting, from which it is convenient to dive spinach seedlings in the future.

What soil to plant

Spinach is a shrub that grows in any type of soil. Any potting soil can be purchased for sowing seeds. The only caveat is that the plant categorically refuses to grow in soil with the addition of peat... The latter stimulates an increase in soil acidity, which negatively affects the vitamin shrub.

You can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, you need to take vermicompost and coconut fiber in a ratio of 1: 2. Coconut fiber can be replaced with perlite or vermiculite.

Preparing spinach seeds for planting

Planting spinach with dry, unprepared seeds is not recommended. Seedlings have a dense outer structure, so they should be pre-soaked in warm liquid for several hours. This procedure will speed up the germination process of the young sprout. The holding time is 24 hours. After that, you need to soak the planting material in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours to disinfect the seedlings from diseases.

Direct landing

On the day of the planned planting work, drainage is poured into the prepared flowerpot. The soil mixture is laid out on top. Further, the spinach seeds are buried to a depth of 1-2 cm. The seedlings are sprinkled on top with a small layer of soil.

Video: sowing spinach seeds on the windowsill

How to care after planting and before harvest

For the germination of seedlings, optimal conditions should be created for faster pecking of the first shoots. Immediately after planting spinach seeds, it is recommended to slightly moisten the planted crops. To create greenhouse conditions, the flowerpot is covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm, bright room.

Watering should be carried out frequent and abundant, spinach does not tolerate drying out of the soil. It is imperative to periodically spray the grown leaf plates. This will saturate them with nourishing moisture and improve their appearance.

After the first shoots appear, you need to feed them. For this, liquid fertilizers are used. Spinach on the window can be fertilized with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and you can also use Fitosporin. If the soil mixture was saturated with nutrients before planting, then you should not make additional subcrusting. Otherwise, you can overdo it with fertilizers, which will negatively affect the spinach leaf plates.

Diseases and pests

Most often, spinach seedlings are affected by various diseases. The following signs of their appearance and methods of combating diseases are revealed:

• anthracnose - spots of brown or greyish-dirty shade of various sizes appear on the plant;
• root rot - most often the disease affects precisely young shoots. Spots appear on the plant with fungal formation inside;
• fusarium - the foliage ceases to develop normally, the color undergoes a change - it begins to darken. The lower leaves turn yellow and die off.

To combat any disease, damaged areas should be removed, but if the entire plant is completely affected, then it is better to remove it from the soil and plant new seedlings than to treat old leaves. It is important to note that foliage in this case is no longer suitable for human consumption.

In indoor conditions for growing spinach, pests cannot physically appear, but in open ground the following parasites can attack the plant:

1. miner fly;
2. scoop caterpillar (brown or green);
3. beet fly;
4. bear;
5. aphid.

All parasites tend to lay their eggs on foliage, the caterpillars hatching from them are capable of completely destroying all the foliage of the bush.

Terms of germination and harvesting

After planting spinach, its first crops, even with preliminary treatment in warm liquid, germinate only after 14-21 days. The collection of foliage begins when the plants have fully formed true leaf plates, which will be 8-10 cm in height and have 5-6 large leaves. In early ripening varieties, this process occurs after about 28-36 days after sowing.

Video: the first true leaves of spinach grown in the window

During harvesting, the foliage can be cut off completely, leaving only the outermost young leaves.But experienced farmers recommend not cutting off the entire added mass at one time. If you harvest the plant gradually, you don't need to store the leaves.

Collect the sheet plates by gently breaking the leg or cutting with scissors. It is impossible to pull and tear out the foliage, this can damage the root system. The procedure is carried out in the morning or in the evening. The leaves collected during the day wither quickly, their shelf life decreases.

Thus, you can grow spinach on a windowsill at home at any time: in spring, autumn, and even winter. The main thing is to create optimal growing conditions for the plant, water it periodically and properly care for it. Sprouting spinach seeds on the window allows you to feast on delicious and nutritious leaves at any time, adding them to soups or salads.

Video: spinach in winter on the windowsill

A relative of the familiar quinoa is a unique plant that contains many useful substances and iron. In the west, this culture is very popular as a medicine for children, it is actively used by nutritionists, and they also prepare delicious and healthy dishes. Boiled spinach is used to recover from colds and other infectious diseases. Now this culture is becoming more and more popular in our country. How to grow spinach on a windowsill? What conditions does he need? We will talk about this in our article.

Conditions for growing spinach

In order for spinach to develop quickly, it needs a sufficient amount of light, that is, at least 10-12 hours a day. In winter and autumn, a plant grown on a window should be artificially illuminated using phytolamps or fluorescent lamps. And in the summertime, greens are hidden from bright sunlight, so as not to burn its leaves, they are additionally shaded.

to contents ↑ Temperature conditions Growing a plant at home

does not provide for high temperatures, it is enough for the temperature in the room to be 15-18 degrees Celsius. If the temperature in the room is higher, then the spinach will go into the arrow and become inedible due to the increase in the amount of oxalic acid in the leaves.

In winter, spinach leaves are easy to overheat at home, especially if the pot is on a windowsill. In order for it not to overheat, it is recommended to put a wooden or foam stand under the plant pot. So the container will heat up less from the radiators.

to content ↑ Capacity

Growing spinach at home can take place in flowerpots or boxes made of wood or plastic. The height of such containers should be at least 15-20 cm. The distance between the seedlings is recommended to be at least 8-10 cm. If you need to collect a young crop, then you can plant more often and thicker.

If a florist wishes and does not have a box, it is recommended to use used cut bottles from juice, drinking water, milk or dairy products at home.

to the content ↑ Fertilizer and soil for spinach

It is recommended to plant spinach on the windowsill in the soil for flowers. The soil should not contain peat, which makes it acidic. The gardener can prepare the mixed soil himself by mixing vermicompost and coconut coir in a ratio of 1 to 2.

The presence of coconut coir in the soil will help retain water in the soil, preventing the soil in the pot from drying out and regulating the moisture and drought balance. The bottom layer of the substrate laid out in the pot should be expanded clay drainage. It is poured 20-30 mm.

If there is no coconut coir, then it can be replaced with vermicompost by adding perlite or vermiculite. We take a tablespoon of the additive for one hundred grams of soil. This mixture will perform the same function as coconut fiber, but will not rot, and therefore it can be used for a long time.

To feed the plant, it is recommended to use ordinary complex fertilizers for flowers.Fertilization occurs every 2 weeks, if desired, you can use liquid fertilizers at home.

back to content ↑ Plant formation

The planting material is large and emerges quickly. It is soaked in warm water throughout the day. Remember that the water should not be hot. After such soaking, the seeds are kept for 4 hours in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then they are blotted with a napkin and dried. Some gardeners do not germinate seeds at home at all, but immediately plant them in a pot or open ground.

The first shoots appear within 10 days after planting, then the film is removed from the mini-greenhouse. The first leaves begin to appear 17-20 days after planting. Further, the cultivation of greenery at home takes place in separate cups or pots.

The plant is transplanted after the appearance of 4 leaves, and the first greens are cut off on average 28-30 days after planting. Spinach grown in an apartment grows quickly, but greens can nevertheless become quite tough if not harvested for a long time. Usually, the sprout is pulled from the ground when it reaches the age of 2-3 months. And planting material is sown in the box again.

On average, the plant is cut once a week, and the leaves are harvested from one bush up to 5 times.

back to contents ↑ Instructions for planting spinach

You can pick up the seeds yourself by picking ripe spinach berries, grind them in mashed potatoes. Berry porridge is mixed with water and stands until fermentation, after which the seeds are removed from it and dried. The finished seeds, the cultivation of which is planned by the gardener, are simply soaked.

Planting material is sown into wet soil, without deepening by more than 10 mm. The box is wrapped in plastic wrap until sprouts appear. The earth is watered from time to time as it dries.

After the seedlings appear, the film is removed, and watering goes into normal mode. When 4 leaves appear on the plants, they are transplanted into individual containers.

Spinach is very scrupulous about watering: it should not be poured, then it should not be dried. If the plant is poured, mold will quickly develop in the pot and the roots will start to rot. A drainage layer can be used to regulate the moisture in the pot.

If the greens are watered a little, then the leaves begin to harden, becoming tough and tasteless.
If the room humidity is low, it is recommended to spray with a spray gun.

back to content ↑ Spinach varieties

• Strawberry. This variety is unpretentious. In this variety of spinach, both berries and leaves are edible. The berries have a bland strawberry flavor and aroma. Their color ranges from bright red to ruby, and they ripen at the end of August.
• Gigantic. It has lettuce-colored leaves. Such a plant is used for the manufacture of baby food, conservation. And you can harvest the crop within a month after planting.
• Victoria. This type of spinach takes a long time to ripen (it can take up to forty days). The bushes are lightweight.
• Matador. This variety has a high yield, and its leaves are oval in shape with a smooth surface. The bushes are frost-resistant.

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Until a few decades ago, a type of greenery like spinach was practically not used by the average person. However, the plant is widely used not only in cooking for flavoring and color, but also for medicinal purposes. Spinach is high in nutrients such as iron, carotene, ascorbic acid and fiber. Therefore, it is highly desirable for yourself to know how to grow spinach on a windowsill.

The benefits of the plant

Before you start breeding greens, first you need to understand how useful this plant is for the human body. Spinach is widespread among people who need to increase hemoglobin and stimulate metabolism. Also, the plant can be prescribed by many doctors for the general strengthening of the body.

It should be noted separately that keratin and ascorbic acid, which are found in significant quantities in greens, are very resistant to heat treatment. When exposed to high temperatures, nutrients are not destroyed, which is a very important factor.

Thanks to modern technology, the plant is sold in supermarkets throughout the year. Therefore, many people do not even think about whether it is possible to grow spinach on a windowsill. However, greens grown under unknown conditions may not have such colossal amounts of vitamins.

It is worth noting that this type of greenery grows well not only in the garden, when it is warm and sunny outside, but also in an ordinary city apartment throughout the year. So, if you want to know how to grow spinach on a windowsill, you need to know some tricks and features, which will be described a little below.

What should be the lighting

To grow spinach at home on a windowsill, you must first pay attention to proper lighting. This plant, like all the others, is quite light-loving and in the absence of proper lighting it can simply wither away, then a good harvest is out of the question.

The ideal option for spinach would be to grow it near a south-facing window. If this is not possible, then additional lighting must be created.

The best quality lighting items are fluorescent lamps or phytolamps. It is necessary to install these devices at a height of 60 cm, do not neglect this rule, since it is this distance that will give the plant the necessary light.

It is worth considering the fact that spinach needs at least 10 hours a day of good lighting for good growth. Therefore, the factors of the season should be taken into account. For example, in winter it brightens and darkens earlier, so additional lighting must be turned on for at least 4 hours a day. If the weather is cloudy outside, then the fluorescent lamps should work all day.

In what container can spinach grow on the windowsill

To the delight of novice gardeners, this plant is very unpretentious to the container in which it will need to grow. For this procedure, ordinary flower pots (plastic, clay or ceramic), boxes and other containers that have drainage holes to remove excess moisture may be suitable.

The main thing is to provide the culture with the necessary area for growth. One plant needs a piece of land measuring 8 by 8 cm. Therefore, it is most convenient to make seedlings in a box, after dividing it into squares.

At the bottom of the container, it is imperative to pour a drainage layer, it should be about 3 cm. For this purpose, pebbles or expanded clay may be ideal. In the absence of the above materials, broken brick can be used.

The soil

The land for a good harvest should be fertilized and loose. For best results, you can prepare the soil yourself. You need to take garden soil and humus, then mix in arbitrary proportions and place everything in the oven for at least half an hour. Such a procedure will completely destroy all pests and pathogens.

There is also an easier option - the acquisition of soil, which is intended for seedlings. However, it is necessary to take only a non-acidic type of soil (no peat). Peat oxidizes the soil, and this does not favorably affect the development of the plant.

Which spinach variety to plant

People who are wondering how to grow spinach on the windowsill at home, in most cases, do not know which variety is ideal for home conditions. The best option would be early ripening varieties, literally in one month you will already be able to take advantage of the first harvest.

Before planting is carried out, the seeds must be soaked in warm water for one day.Then they need to be pulled out and placed in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 2 hours, then you can proceed directly to sowing. Thanks to this simple procedure, the ripening process is significantly accelerated.

How to grow spinach on a windowsill: sowing

If everything is done correctly to create the highest quality crop, then the seeds should not be sown immediately in a box or other container where the plant will develop, but in a special planting box (pot). After sowing the seeds, you need to wait a while, when several stronger leaves appear. Only then can the spinach be carefully dived into its permanent habitat.

In the planting container, you need to make small strips from 1 to 1.5 cm deep, then carefully lay out the pre-treated seeds. Then the strips must be covered with soil and irrigated with a sprayer. When everything is done, all that remains is to create a greenhouse effect; for this, the container must be covered with foil or glass. During the first week, sprouts will appear, only after that the glass (film) can be removed.

Plant care

This plant loves moisture very much, therefore, for a good harvest, it is necessary not only to water the crop regularly, but it is also necessary to irrigate from a spray bottle every few days. If this is not possible, then you can put several containers on the windowsill, which will contain water, of course, open.

Many people do not know how to grow spinach on a windowsill in an apartment and what is the optimal temperature for this. With the temperature regime, everything is extremely simple, the ideal temperature for a plant is +15 degrees. In this case, spinach can freeze if it is less than +9 on the windowsill, and if it is more than +16, then arrows appear that make the culture unsuitable for human consumption.

When to harvest

How to grow spinach at home on a windowsill is now clear. Now you need to decide when you can collect the fruits of labor. Greens are believed to be fully usable when they are 7-8 cm tall and have about 5 large, dense leaves.

You can pick off the leaves of the plant for 2, and sometimes 3 months (depending on the specific variety). When the spinach shoots a flower arrow, it means that it can be removed and a new batch of greens can be planted.

Conclusion

Now you know how to grow spinach on a windowsill, follow these basic rules, this crop will grow at home throughout the year.

Garden spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an annual herb of the Amaranth family. Spinach is a great source of iron. This element is required to maintain a normal level of hemoglobin, which supplies oxygen to all cells of the body, is part of the system responsible for energy production and metabolism. Spinach is especially recommended for children, adolescents and women.

Homeland of spinach

Native to spinach from the Middle East. It is believed that the cultivation began in Persia. In Central Asia, it grows like a weed. Translated from Persian, the name of the plant means "green hand".

As a vegetable plant, spinach is cultivated everywhere. In Western countries, it was extremely popular at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, spinach was considered the richest in iron food: 35 mg of iron per 100 g of weight. The confusion arose because the researcher did not put a decimal point in the number - in fact, fresh spinach contains 10 times less iron. The refutation did not appear until 1981.

Botanical description

Spinach is an annual plant. Its leaves are triangular-lance-shaped, gather in a dense basal rosette, their length is 30-45 cm. It blooms in the summer months. Small staminate green flowers gather in a paniculate inflorescence, pistillate ones are located in the axils of the leaves, forming glomeruli. The fruit is oval-shaped nuts.

Preparing a site for planting spinach

Seat selection

Grow spinach in a cultivated area rich in organic matter. The culture is demanding on soil fertility. Gives rich harvests on sandy loam and loamy soils.

As a rule, no special areas are allocated for sowing spinach. In spring, it is grown as a precursor to late thermophilic crops. Can be sown as a compactor (in the aisles of the garden and among other vegetables) in small areas.

Fertilizing the earth

For digging in the fall, fertilizers should be applied: for 1 m², 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride. If the soil is acidic, liming is necessary. In early spring, as soon as possible soil cultivation, add 20 g of urea per 1 m² under the rake. For sowing, humus or rotted manure should be applied. It is especially important to introduce humus with thickened and early plantings. Fresh organic matter (slurry, manure, etc.) is not recommended to be applied directly under the crop.

Growing in greenhouses, greenhouses, a good harvest can be obtained on soils with a significant amount of humus. Prepare a mixture of garden, turf and humus in equal proportions.

Dates of sowing spinach in the ground

Sowing spinach outdoors in spring how to sow spinach

• For growing spinach in a greenhouse or warm greenhouse start sowing from the end of February.
• Spinach is a fairly cold-resistant crop - its seedlings can withstand temperatures as low as -8 ° C.
• Boldly sow before winter(the end of October). The seeds overwinter successfully under snow cover.
• In the spring start sowing when the snow has completely melted. You can do conveyor crops at intervals of 20-30 days in order to regularly receive fresh greens.
• For autumn harvest sow in June-July, in the southern regions - in August.

Pre-moisten the area well. To help the seeds germinate quickly and well, cover the crops with a rag (old blanket, sheet, etc.). In regions where the winter air temperature does not drop below +12 ° C, you can freely harvest throughout the winter.

Growing spinach from seeds in a greenhouse

How to plant spinach seeds in the ground photo

To obtain early and friendly shoots, the seeds must be processed before sowing. Soak them for a day in warm water, then dry them until they are free-flowing, start sowing.

• When sowing in a greenhouse, you will need 20-30 g of seeds per 1 m².
• Keep a distance of 20-30 cm between rows.
• Cover to a depth of 1-2 cm. For germination, keep the air temperature between 10-12 ° C in cloudy weather, 18 ° C on sunny days.
• When shoots appear, weeding and thinning are carried out several times, leaving 15-20 cm between the plants.

The greenhouse must be ventilated on warm days, preventing the air temperature from rising above 24 ° C, so that delicate greens do not receive thermal burns. When the air temperature during the day exceeds 12 ° C, the film can be removed for a day.

Planting spinach seeds outdoors

Growing spinach in the open field photo

• In the open field, sow spinach on the ridges, maintaining a distance between rows of 30-40 cm.
• Sow 4-5 g of seeds per 1 m².
• The seeding depth is 1-2 cm. After sowing, close the ridges with a rake.
• When the spinach sprouts, be sure to thin out the seedlings to 5-6 cm between the plants.
• Thin the spinach as it grows, using the excess plants for food.

How to care for spinach outdoors

Thinning

With the appearance of the second true leaflet, the seedlings should be thinned out. After several thinning in a row, leave the bushes at a distance of at least 10-15 cm. When the plantings are thickened, poor aeration, which provokes powdery mildew damage. Water the spinach liberally after thinning.

Watering

Provide regular watering. It is enough to add 3 liters of water for each running meter 2-3 times a week.In dry, hot weather, water abundantly to prevent premature stems.

Top dressing

If spinach grows poorly, add nitrogen fertilizer along with watering (10-15 g of urea per 1 m²). Potash and phosphorus fertilizers are not recommended: the shooting process is accelerated.

Growing spinach from seeds at home for seedlings

Spinach is grown at home in order to obtain early seedlings or vitamin greens all year round. Let's take a look at both methods.

Growing spinach from seed for seedlings

When to sow spinach for seedlings?

Spinach is a very early ripening crop, its greens are ready for harvesting in 3-4 weeks after germination. Therefore, you need to accurately calculate the time until the moment of disembarkation, so as not to be mistaken. The timing of planting spinach also depends on the selected variety, since the ripening time for each variety is different.

On average, we leave 1-1.5 weeks for the emergence of seedlings and 2 weeks for growing seedlings. In general, we begin sowing for seedlings about 3-4 weeks before planting in a permanent growing place.

How to sow

Spinach growing from seeds for seedlings at home photo seedlings

The spinach seeds are large enough that you can easily plant them one at a time in the cassette slots. The soil can be taken universal for seedlings.

• Embedding depth 1 cm.
• After planting, the earth is moistened with a spray gun, covered with a film.
• Germinate your seeds at room temperature.
• How much spinach comes out? The first shoots will appear on the 8-10th day. After that, the film must be removed, and the temperature of the content is slightly lowered so that the seedlings do not stretch out. It's good if you keep it around 18 ° C.
• Seedlings need long daylight hours with good diffused lighting.
• When the plants become cramped in the cells of the cassette, you need to transfer the seedlings to peat pots.

Before planting, the seedlings are hardened for 7-10 days. Spinach is planted at a distance of 10-15 cm in a row, between rows 30-40 cm.

Growing spinach from seeds on a windowsill

Spinach growing and care at home on the windowsill photo

To plant spinach on the windowsill with seeds for growing on greens, you can use any containers convenient for you, the main thing is that their height is at least 15 cm: these can be pots or seedling boxes, always with drainage holes in the bottom. Use a loose, nutritious soil, a universal soil mixture for seedlings is quite suitable.

• Plant the seeds less frequently, 5-6 cm apart. Later you will thin them out to a distance of 8-10 cm.
• Embedding depth 1 cm.
• After planting, we humidify it from a pulverizer, cover it with a film until shoots appear, after which we remove the shelter.
• Further care is extremely simple: watering as the soil dries up and diffused bright lighting for at least 10 hours. If the daylight hours are short, you need to illuminate with phytolamps.

Harvesting spinach

After spring sowing, you can start harvesting spinach after 30-40 days of growth, after summer sowing - after 40-50 days. It is important not to miss a moment: if the spinach overgrows, the leaves will become rough and tasteless. Harvesting can begin as soon as 5-6 leaves appear. Cut the rosettes under the first leaf or pull out by the roots. It is better to harvest the crop in the morning, but not immediately after rain or watering - the leaves are very fragile, they break easily.

As it grows, new leaves appear that can be harvested until the onset of mass shooting.

From 1 m², you can harvest 1.5-2 kg of the crop.

Spinach can be transported and stored exclusively in dry form. In a plastic bag on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, spinach stays fresh for about 2 days. It can be frozen - its beneficial properties are not lost when frozen.

Diseases and pests of spinach

It is undesirable to spray leafy vegetables with pesticides, so it is better to take preventive measures. Observe agricultural techniques, harvest on time.

When the plantings are thickened, it is possible to be affected by powdery mildew and various spots.

Seedlings and young plants can be affected by root rot: the neck rots, the plant withers and dies. Be sure to thin out the seedlings, loosen the soil.

Succulent spinach leaves attract aphids, slugs, snails, and larvae of the miner beet moth willingly settle on them. Do not grow spinach next to beets. Collect gastropods by hand.

Benefits of spinach

Spinach is rich not only in iron, but also in a whole range of nutrients and vitamins. Leaves contain fats, proteins, sugars, fiber, organic acids, flavanoids, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C, B, E, K, A, PP.

The high content of folic acid makes spinach very useful for pregnant women, it is given to young children in the form of puree to prevent rickets. Eating spinach in food contributes to the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, stimulates the intestines, has a mild laxative effect, prevents retinal degeneration, is useful for diabetes, anemia, anemia.

Swiss professor Gustav von Bunge investigated dry spinach in 1890. His calculations were correct (35 mg iron per 100 g dry product), but this information may have been misunderstood, which also contributed to the confusion and ambiguity in evaluating the usefulness of spinach.