spinach

[Anny]

How do you know when to pick your spinach??


If I just pull the leaves off will the plant continue to grow more??

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Usually around 45-65 days after planting. When the leaves are large and well filled. Usually the entire plant is harvested and it will not usually produce a second harvest. If you wait too long then they start to yellow and get really bitter.

If you pull of younger more tender spinach leaves you can continue to pick longer and earlier but eventually the plant will have to be harvested.

 

[bills]

Due to the cooler weather we have been getting, my spinach dosen't look like it's going to bolt, so I have been carefully cutting leaves off every day for salads. I cut the outer ones which allows the centre leaves to continue growing. As soon as I can see yellowing or it looks like they are going to seed, I'll pull the whole plant. The cool spring has made for a fantastic spinach crop, and some mighty fine, (and healthy) eating!

I do this with my swiss rhubarb chard all season. I can usually harvest chard until the first snows, or extremely heavy frosts hit.

 

[freshfood]

How do you know when to pick your spinach??


If I just pull the leaves off will the plant continue to grow more??

I harvest mine when it looks like spinach! Seriously, I just cut outer leaves, a few from each plant, as soon as it looks big enough to eat. My spinach harvest typically lasts a month or so, depending on the weather. I sometimes (depending on how crazy my life gets) do a second planting in maybe mid July, remembering that spinach likes cold weather best and your second harves will probably be smaller and shorter than the first. When to do a second planting also has to do with your climate. Check with your local cooperative extension office, they should be able to tell you planting times for your area.

Fresh spinach is gourmet!! I planted 100 feet and am taking bags of the stuff to work and giving it away every couple of days because I can't keep up with the harvest. I have some in the freezer and will do more shortly when I harvest my whole plants (they're starting to grow stalks, trying to go to seed).

Enjoy!!!