Malabar Spinach Let’s Replace Grocery Store Spinach with Homegrown

Malabar Spinach You know those plastic boxes of spinach leaves from the grocery store that cost four bucks each? What if I told you that for at least a couple of months every year. You can grow your own fresh and delicious spinach leaves so you don’t have to buy any from the store?

That’s right! And there are just a few steps standing between you and homegrown spinach.

Malabar Spinach Every spring and fall, I plant up one 4ft. x 4ft. garden box with the goal of growing enough spinach to replace that weekly purchase of a plastic box from the store. Just one package of spinach seeds costs the same as one of those plastic boxes and I’ll get so many spinach leaves that I can enjoy at the peak of their flavor and nutrition. No more wilting, slimy leaves! Sound good?

Follow these five steps to grow your own spinach from seed.

Malabar Spinach When to Sow Spinach Seeds

Spinach is in the Amaranth family, along with Swiss chard and beets. You’ll find that all three of these nutritional superstars love cool weather.

The ideal temperature range for spinach is 45 to 75°F, though spinach can handle colder temps and even some frost. A little frost actually sweetens up the leaves (and helps deal with pests).

Malabar Spinach If you live somewhere with a cold winter, you’ll likely grow spinach during your spring and fall. If you live somewhere warmer, then spinach will be your best friend. Echinacea cheyenne can be grown with spinach

Spinach does not like hot weather and will bolt, or go to seed when the weather warms and the days lengthen. I recommend switching to more heat-resistant greens, like New Zealand spinach (which is actually not spinach but really delicious and easy to grow) for the next couple of months.