Growing Spinach, also English spinach

Spinacia oleracea : Amaranthaceae / the amaranth family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P P P P P P      

(Best months for growing Spinach in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 5-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Broad beans (fava), cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant (aubergine), onion, peas, strawberry, santolina

Your comments and tips

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03 Feb 15, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Help! My spinach is being completely stripped overnight, not just holes. I have put poison round each plant which worked the first night then it rained heavily and now the remaining plants have been eaten.
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04 Feb 15, Luke (Australia - tropical climate)
the only insect i can think of would be grass hopper and some other bugs breeding in summer as they like heat, they are hard to kill unless heavily poison. Grass hopper can eat a plant in one night if the leaves are fresh. The only safe tip i can give is what i doing now, Spray the area with Madison 50, type of poison for pets that got lices, water your plants with insect repel, best if it natural, there are a range of products at your local garden center. hope this helps
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21 Dec 14, neetu (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
i've got heaps of green kind of baby spinach does'nt have round shape it has spear look,not sure what is that and its keep spreading out in my garden. regards NM
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12 Jun 15, Lucas (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Google "Warrigal Greens", it might be them.
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16 Nov 14, Barbara Donovan (Australia - temperate climate)
When to pull spinach out?? We pick and have had many re growths?? Help?
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03 Oct 14, Margaret H (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
what can I use to prevent rust spots on Silver Beet & what causes it on really young vigorous.
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05 Jun 14, james (Australia - temperate climate)
the leaves on my english spinich look bubbly and curled up can't see any insects what might it be
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15 Mar 14, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi my name is veronica live in kemptonpark I like growing spinach but my problem I see the leaves having holes I don't know what is eating it. How do I prevent this
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04 Sep 14, Frans (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Veronica. I plant spinach for several years now and had the same problems. I saw that it can be caused by only 3 things. First it was these brown beetles coming out at night at sumer, then it was snails but last wasthe most devestating, I couln't see or catch the pest until I pick the worst leaves and gave it a good shake. I was surprised to see the amount of worms dropping down. They were camouflached very well. I got poison from my local agri depo and it was the end of them. They destroyed a third of my crop within two weeks.
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02 Mar 14, Pram (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in Albany.i am new in gardening. I seed spinach last week this morning I saw some seed growing but it's in yellow colour not green. Is something wrong with soil?
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Showing 51 - 60 of 114 comments
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Dean, i have found my greens were getting eaten over night aswell and found the culprit....a little black insect which curls up(about the size of a green pea). It burrows under ground under the plant and comes up when the soil is interrupted. I've no idea what the insect is but it decimated my chinese cabbage crop. If anyone knows what this insect is and how it can be erradicated without the use of pesticides, that'd be great.

- Natalie

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