Spinach makes an excellent fall crop for mid-Missouri gardeners.
This nutritious (think Popeye) green leaf vegetable can be planted during the first three weeks of August. It looks like we might have cooler weather patterns, so spinach planted now should flourish into a wonderful crop this fall.
As with most plants nowadays there is an abundance of varieties to choose from. Spinach is separated into three main groups: savoy with the crinkly leaves, smooth or flat leaf types, and of course there are a few "in-between" varieties know as semi-savoy.
Savoy spinach, with its curly, deeply crinkly and dark green leaves, is typically the kind sold in supermarkets in fresh bundles. It has a very productive yield and can handle cold a lot better than most types of spinach. Because it has the habit of growing low, it can get muddy and gritty and thus be quite a chore to clean. Bloomsdale is one of the most popular varieties; it has thick succulent leaves that are great eaten raw and added to salads.
Flat-leaf, also known as smooth-leaf spinach, can be distinguished by its smooth and broad leaves that make easier to rinse and clean compared to the crinkly savoy varieties. This is typically the type of spinach used in frozen and canned spinach, baby foods, soups, and processed foods. "Space" is a popular variety in this category.
A hybrid, semi-savoy has slightly crinkled leaves. These varieties grow upright, which makes it less likely to be dirtied with mud, and thus makes it easier to clean than savoy varieties. Some are bred to have good resistance to bolt and disease. Semi-savoy is usually the best choice of spinach for growing at home. Melody and Tyee are a couple of varieties that are well-suited for fall planting in our area.
Plant spinach seeds inch deep in rows 15-18 inches apart. To make up for germination problems, sow seeds generously, then thin to three inches apart. When the leaves of the plants touch, pull every other one. The plants pulled during thinning are good in a salad as real baby spinach leaves. Most "baby" spinach leaves you see in the store are actually full grown leaves from a variety that has small leaves.
Here are some interesting facts about spinach: For fresh eating you will need about 7 feet of row space per person. If you would like to freeze some for later use figure about 10-15 feet per person. Spinach is about 90 percent water so it takes about 10-12 cups to make one cup of cooked spinach that's a lot of raw spinach, so plant a lot if that is what you have in mind.
On a different note, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Missouri Master Gardener program will be offered online this year. The motto of the Missouri Master Gardener Extension Program is "helping others learn to grow." This is accomplished by providing in-depth horticultural training to individuals throughout Missouri who then volunteer their time applying what they have learned to help others in their communities to learn about gardening and the environment.
The objectives of Master Gardener online training are:
1. To understand the mission of the Missouri Master Gardener Program and how it functions.
2. To acquire a working knowledge of the fundamental principles of plant growth and development.
3. To apply concepts of plant growth and development to everyday situations and uses in horticulture.
4. To learn basic terminology associated with the art and science of horticulture.
5. To gain an appreciation of horticulture as a life-long pursuit.
For more information or to sign up for the class visit extension2.missouri.edu/master-gardener-core-training-fall-2020.
Happy gardening!
Peter Sutter is a life-long gardening enthusiast and a participant in the MU Extension's Callaway County Master Gardener Program. Gardening questions can be sent to [email protected].