Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
A cool-season green; sow again in late summer for fall.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: part shade to full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: April to June
From: Central Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Spinach came from Persia and reached China by 647 AD and Spain with the Moors; Catherine de' Medici's cooks made dishes à la Florentine. It is a cold-weather crop that bolts the moment days lengthen.
Planting
Full sun or light shade, rich soil; sow directly in early spring and again in late summer for autumn, half an inch deep.
Growing
Water steadily and feed with compost; it wants nitrogen. Thin to 4 inches. Mulch to keep cool.
Harvest and use
Pick outer leaves from six weeks after sowing or cut the whole plant before it bolts. Autumn-sown spinach overwinters under mulch.
What to watch for
Leafminers, downy mildew in cool wet weather, and bolting in heat.
See if Spinach fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home