Spinach: features of growing from seeds. Care. Sowing. Favorite varieties. Spinach growing and care in open ground All about growing spinach

A large amount of vitamins, essential acids, vegetable proteins and microelements in a balanced form, preserved even during cooking and freezing, are obtained by consuming this early ripening green crop. Spinach- is a vegetable cultivation and care behind which V open ground will allow you to get early greenery in a season when almost nothing grows in the beds. Its seeds germinate already at +4º C.

I'll tell you this: Popeye lied about the health benefits of spinach. But, of course, spinach is good for health, you need to grow something in the garden, and it is important to do it with talent. For example, one architect Marijke Bruinsma, together with another and a third, came up with one building for three, called it a house and thought to surprise visitors with plants on the roof - . So, you can grow spinach in various containers and designs, fit it into the design of your site and enjoy the landscape design.

From what could easily be eaten, there is a guide to planting and caring for: razmorin, daikon and physalis.

Spinach - method of planting seeds

Sowing spinach seeds and simple care behind him in open ground- the only way growing this plant. For successful cultivation careful preparation of the seeds is required - they are soaked for 2 days in warm water, bubbling, and then slightly dried.

Sowing seeds

Spinach care

Spinach care measures include regular watering, weeding, and loosening the rows. It is especially important to remove weeds and thin out overly densely planted plants, since dense planting will be unproductive and root rot, slugs. Removing male spinach plants will help increase yield. They can be recognized by the type of leaf appearance: on female plants they appear in the form of a round rosette, and on male ones they grow from the sinuses.

Harvesting and storage

Plants are ready to eat once 6 to 12 leaves appear on the spinach. Delay in harvesting will lead to aging and coarsening of the leaves, loss of valuable qualities of spinach. The leaves are cut off as they grow or the entire plant is pulled out when harvesting spinach for long-term storage.

The shelf life of collected leaves is 1-2 days; well-washed greens are frozen whole or in the form of puree crushed in a blender. One storage method is to preserve spinach leaves by sterilization.

Preparing for winter

Spinach is grown as an annual crop; it does not overwinter in open ground. Of practical importance is winter sowing this green crop. Sowing in September-October will allow you to get the first greens early in the spring. Small rosettes of leaves that appear in the fall are sprinkled with weathered peat or rotted compost. This cover from spinach rosettes in spring should be removed immediately after the snow melts.

There are many useful human body plants. But some are a real storehouse of vitamins. Spinach is an essential source of iron and helps raise hemoglobin. It is recommended for women, teenagers and even small children. Today we will tell summer residents how to grow a crop using seedlings, by sowing in open ground or a greenhouse, as well as about the rules for autumn sowing.

Spinach is an annual dioecious vegetable plant, reaching up to 45 cm in height. Experts call Iran its homeland. The culture was known to the ancient Egyptians. Spinach came to Europe from Spain back in the 15th century. Generally. The history of culture goes back over 5 thousand years. Externally, it is a crop with triangular-spear-shaped leaves, green and small staminate flowers, collected in inflorescences. Pistillate flowers are arranged in balls in the axils of the foliage. The fruits are oval and are found in woody bracts. Flowering of the crop occurs in June-August. Why do many gardeners prefer to sow spinach on the plot? Because it contains vitamins of groups P, PP, C, E, D, B3, B6, K. Spinach contains 1.5 times more protein than milk powder. It is rich in magnesium, iron, folic acid.

Novice gardeners and gardeners often wonder when to plant spinach on the plot? It is resistant to low temperatures, so cultivation can be carried out not only in summer period. Able to recover normally after minor frosts.

When planting seedlings, you can enjoy the crop before May. It reacts normally to proximity to many crops, so choosing a place for spinach in the garden is not difficult. You can sow spinach in a well-sunny area. It is recommended to choose soil with any structure, except clayey and one that has an excessive level of acidity. It is advised to build high bed, in the lower layer of which there will be organic residues. Next, it is better to add fresh or rotted manure. To prevent nitrates from accumulating in plants, it is customary to cover the plantings with a layer of sawdust of about 2 cm and a layer of organic residues.

If you have excessively acidic soil, you can save the situation by adding lime. When growing, regular watering is required, which affects high yields. Popular varieties are such as Godry, Krepysh, Virofle, Ispolinsky, Matador.

Planting seedlings

For lovers early greens fits well seedling method growing. Seeds should be sown in March - early April. You will need boxes, cups made of paper or plastic. It is recommended to deepen the seed material into the prepared soil no more than 1 cm. Next, the soil is compacted. Cover the top with glass or film and put the container in a warm place. In a greenhouse microclimate, planted material quickly sprouts. The film or glass must be removed. The container is placed on the balcony or veranda. Regular watering is required.

Seedlings grow well on a south-eastern or southern windowsill. Seed germination occurs at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. Spinach should be planted in open ground when the soil warms up normally. It is recommended to install arcs and cover the beds with special non-woven agrofibre. This will protect crops from the scorching sun and temperature changes.

Sowing in open ground or greenhouse

Sowing spinach in a greenhouse is carried out with an eye on climatic features locality, quality and arrangement of the greenhouse, varietal characteristics planting material. All year round you can grow vegetables by creating a system in a greenhouse artificial lighting and heating. Budget option The film structure remains. But in practice, it does not retain heat well, especially if there are frequent frosts at night. Therefore, spinach and its planting and care will not be difficult if you follow certain rules; it is often grown in polycarbonate greenhouses.

Planting in a greenhouse is carried out when the air is already well warmed up during the day. The wells are poured with boiling water. The seeds are covered with 2 cm of soil. Next, agrofibre is placed. It allows you to save the required level of humidity and amount of heat. The ideal temperature is + 15 degrees. Plants can withstand frosts down to – 10 degrees. If the temperature stays above + 20, varieties that are not resistant to flowering are capable of producing arrows. It is recommended to remove agrofibre after germination.

The crop is usually planted in early spring at the same time as onions on greens, lettuce, radishes. To extend the yield period, spinach should be sown at intervals of 7 to 10 days. Then you can get friendly and even shoots.

If you need to save space in your garden beds, this plant can be sown as a thickener. This is done most often between tomatoes, dill, radishes, carrots, and beans. In order not to carry out frequent watering and loosening the soil, it is recommended to mulch it with sawdust and add a little urea. When a pair of full-fledged leaves appears, thinning should be carried out. The soil where spinach is grown must have enough boron. You need to dilute 10 grams boric acid in 1 bucket of water and water the crops using a watering can.

It is customary to prepare the soil for spinach in the fall. To do this, the area is dug up to the depth of the humus layer. Fertilizers are added there at the rate of 30 grams of superphosphate and 15 grams of potassium chloride for each square meter. In early spring, it is customary to apply about 20 grams of urea per square meter. meter under the rake.

Vegetable crops sown in spring are ready for harvesting after 8–10 weeks from the moment of germination, and in summer after 10–12 weeks. If the harvest is untimely, the summer resident runs the risk of getting plants with coarsened leaves and too lost their taste. It is better to harvest spinach in the morning. But you should not do this immediately after watering or if it has rained. The normal yield of the crop is up to 2 kg per square meter. meters.

Growing spinach became popular in our country not so long ago, but in a very short period of time, it was planted in every second greenhouse. The demand for this crop is growing every day, which means it won’t hurt us to find out how to grow it in the country.

Along with other greens - parsley, dill and lettuce, spinach can be grown in a greenhouse or open ground, it all depends on your own desire and the volumes of greenery that are needed. Unusual green vegetable crop can be used for business or only for personal consumption - in salads, stir-fries, sauces, canned form.

How useful is the plant?

Many of us have repeatedly heard about the beneficial properties of the crop and that the plant is full of biologically active substances. It turns out that by eating spinach, even in small portions, we get many elements beneficial to the body. This is precisely what can be considered another reason to grow it in the country.

The culture retains its beneficial properties in any form, although their concentration varies slightly. Thus, all vitamins and other substances are available in raw, boiled, canned and even frozen spinach. In addition to the high content of carotene and ascorbic acid, the plant contains oxalic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid, manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, copper, iron, sodium, a lot of potassium and vitamins B, P, PP, E, K.

Experts working on the study of the properties of spinach have noted that its juice is useful for anemia, for increasing appetite, normalizing the processes of the gastrointestinal tract, and can also restore and strengthen the nervous system.

But there are also warnings - the product should not be abused in adulthood, in baby food, for kidney and liver diseases.

Growing spinach

If, after reading the previous paragraph, you understand how important this plant product can be in nutrition, you will be interested in learning how to grow this crop in your own garden or in a small greenhouse in the country.

Choosing the soil

The best way Fertile, organic-rich, well-drained soil is suitable for growing spinach. It is preferable to grow the crop on sandy loam or loam. An important point Acidity is also important for the quality of the plant, where the optimal indicator is around pH 6.7-7.0. If you plant it in highly acidic soil, you risk losing the plants. Heavy soils spinach requires the addition of organic matter, lime or carbonate are not good enough, since they do not have required level iron content.

Fertilizer for crops

Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are added to high-quality, fertile soil in the fall, as well as 6-7 kg of humus or well-rotted manure for each square meter of future planting. It is recommended to apply fertilizer when digging the soil.

In areas without black soil mineral fertilizers are added immediately before sowing the crop: 10-13 g of potassium, 5-6 g of phosphorus and about 10 g of nitrogen. This dosage of additives is calculated for 1 m2.

It is also worth noting that you should be extremely careful when applying fertilizers, since spinach leaves accumulate nitrates very well. Thus, nitrogen is added to the soil only when absolutely necessary.

Sowing plants

Most often, spinach is grown from seeds, and therefore, now we will talk about this method in details.

The soil for garden spinach is prepared in advance, in autumn period. When digging up the soil, certain fertilizers are added to it - potassium, phosphorus, compost. You can also add a third of the standard dose of nitrogen to the soil. In the spring, before planting, the area for sowing is cultivated and the remaining dose of nitrogen is added.

Sowing occurs in several stages, so you can receive fresh greens during the season longer and without interruptions. Closer to autumn, at the end of August or even in the first half of September, the crop is sown in the ground. This is done in order to get greens in early spring.

Spinach planted at the beginning of autumn will show the first rosette of leaves even before the onset of frost, then it will overwinter, and already 12-15 days after the spring snow melts, you will be able to enjoy the first fruits of your work.

Before planting, the seeds must be properly prepared so that they germinate well. Soaking for several hours will not be enough, since the seeds do not absorb moisture well. For preparation use warm water, about +25°C, and also practice bubbling. After two days in water, the seeds are dried so that they regain their original flowability and sown in the ground.

There are several ways of sowing - on beds and in rows. The first is used if the soil on the site is heavy, the second - for any other soil. The seeds are sown to a shallow depth, about 2-3 cm, and a distance of 25-30 cm is maintained between the rows of future greenery.

Plant care

First of all, it is necessary to monitor and care for the seedlings. They must be clean and growth must not be hampered by weeds or excessive thickening. Water the plants in a timely manner, this will help avoid stemming. Basically, try not to let the soil dry out. hot weather.

During the growing season, you can also apply fertilizing, immediately after rain or simply during watering. After this, it will be necessary to loosen the soil. During the entire period of spinach growth, you need to do at least 2-3 weedings and light loosening of the rows, also, do not forget to remove new shoots that make the planting dense and unproductive, as well as weak male plants.

Harvesting

Grown spinach can be harvested from the garden or garden bed at the 6-8 leaf stage. Maximum term harvesting - growth of flower stalks. Greens can be mowed or cut, but many people uproot the plant... this is up to your personal discretion.

The leaves can be stored for almost a week; during this period they must be prepared or immediately consumed. If more is needed long-term storage, you can use freezing.

What varieties to choose for the garden

We actually know a few good varieties, which summer residents most often choose to grow on own plots:

• Victoria,
• Gaudry,
• Virofle,
• Gigantic,
• Fat-leaved,
• Matador,
• Strawberry.

You can choose any of them for growing in the country or at home. We recommend that you read the material about.

Video about growing spinach

Question answer

• How different is growing spinach? Strawberry or Matador from standard, garden spinach. There are practically no differences, especially when it comes to the technology of growing greens and caring for them. These varieties differ in their growing season, shape and size of leaves, and taste;
• Is it possible to grow spinach on a windowsill? If you are interested in growing crops at home, you can follow the advice given in our article, install several boxes or other containers with fertile soil on the balcony or windowsill, prepare and sow the seeds. The result will not be long in coming, naturally, with appropriate care;
• How is growing spinach in a greenhouse different from growing it at home? Everything is simple here - speed and quantity. In a greenhouse, under certain conditions, spinach will grow faster and better, and in a greenhouse you will not have to limit yourself in the amount of greens that need to be grown.

Today, many people come across greens called spinach on store shelves, but still do not know about its beneficial properties. For this reason, this plant is not often grown in summer cottages.

Those who have tried spinach at least once in their lives and already know about its benefits for the human body want to know how to properly grow it in open ground or a greenhouse. Let's consider the first type of cultivation of this crop.

Brief description of the culture

Spinach is known for being easy to care for. It has high cold resistance, which is why it is used to replenish the spring shortage of vitamins. Greens are rich in high levels of iron, calcium, phosphorus and plant proteins.

Spinach seeds are sown in the spring. in the month of April when the last snow melted. Seed germination occurs at a temperature of +4 degrees. In regions where a mild climate prevails, seeds are sown before winter to obtain an early harvest.

That's all today greater value give a healthy diet. And, of course, spinach must be included not only in a healthy diet, but also in dietary food. Some people already grow spinach in their dachas and gardens and get a rich harvest of healthy greens.

The plant can be grown at home, but most often it takes its place in beds under open air. And not everyone has the opportunity to buy a greenhouse, so best option growing spinach will in open ground.

Spinach: growing and caring in open ground

Although this crop does not have any special requirements for cultivation, like any plant, it needs to organize conditions for its growth and development.

For spinach you should choose a separate area with fertile and loose soil. Greens can be grown in a less nutritious substrate, but then the harvest will consist of small and weak leaves.

Good predecessors for the plant will be tomatoes, cucumbers and other greens. If spinach is grown alongside other crops, then better neighbors for him there will be cabbage, marjoram, radishes, lettuce, dill, beans.

If the substrate has high degree acidity, then liming is carried out for it. soil dug up and treated with humus, superphosphate and potassium chloride.

Since the leaves of the cultivated plant perfectly accumulate nitric acid salts, subsequent fertilizing with nitrogenous fertilizers in the spring should not be carried out. The same applies if the site is prepared in the fall. Before planting seeds in the spring, all that remains is loosen the soil.

Preparing and planting seed

For better germination, seeds should be properly prepared before planting.

Seedlings are sown only seeds of heat-loving varieties, which cannot take root in cold climates. The seed of other types of spinach is planted immediately in open ground.

1. After loosening, small grooves are made in the ground at a distance of at least 20–25 cm from each other.
2. The soil is thoroughly watered.
3. Seeds are sown in the soil to a depth of 1–2 cm with compaction.
4. The beds are covered with film material.

The first shoots can be expected in 6–8 days if seed germination occurs in favorable conditions. To continuously obtain a green harvest, the sowing of the crop is repeated every two weeks between April and August.

But in hot periods it is undesirable to do this because poor growth and rapid bolting of culture. Optimal temperature for growing spinach will be +15–16 degrees.

If the seeds are planted in the fall, then the seed does not need preliminary stratification: seeds harden well winter period . Plants are planted in August or early September.

Spinach care rules

Thin out the seedlings at intervals of 10–15 cm every 3–4 days. After the procedure, the crops are fed with a urea solution.

From the experiences of gardeners and gardeners it is known that in order to form new leaves it is necessary to carefully cut off the tops of the stems in adult spinach. Another advantage of this procedure is the absence of arrows.

Shoots of each variety appear in different time. For some, they are observed after 5 days, while for others you have to wait almost 2 weeks. With the appearance of sprouts with formed leaves, the following is carried out:

• thinning;
• regular loosening;
• weeding;
• daily watering.

Salad culture requires regular, but moderate watering every day. In hot or dry weather, the soil should be moistened more abundantly than usual, otherwise the bushes will stem or the growth of green mass will stop.

It wouldn't hurt to spray the leaves. warm water. The plant is fed only if it grows in depleted soil. Fertile soil only needs preliminary treatment with fertilizers before sowing.

Features of growing spinach varieties

Each variety of spinach has some peculiarities in cultivation. Among the well-known varieties and hybrids are:

Gaudry, Matador and Giant spinach usually do not cause any problems when grown outdoors and produce rich harvests within a short time after planting in the ground. These varieties are easy to grow.

But the New Zealand variety needs seedling preparation, otherwise heat-loving spinach will not be able to develop at low temperatures, even if it is planted in a fertile substrate. To ensure that seeds germinate quickly, growth stimulants are used.

But with this variety there are no problems when removing weeds, which New Zealand quickly suppresses with its properties. And dry weather is not scary for it: spinach does not bloom or shoot arrows, like other species.

Planting and caring for strawberry spinach

An interesting variety of salad crop is strawberry spinach, which is also called raspberry spinach. The plant was given this name because of its flowers, which resemble berries in shape and color.

Bright red flowers are represented by balls that bloom along the entire stem. They do not have any taste, unlike the leaves, which are very tasty and juicy. It is because of them that this plant variety is grown.

Strawberry spinach, like other varieties of this greenery, is frost-resistant, highly resistant to drought and heat, and does not require complex care. Flowering of the plant occurs in July - August, and fruiting - in August - September.

Spinach-raspberries can be sprouted seedling and seed method. The first method uses a potting method with a special substrate where the seeds are sown. After a month, the grown sprouts are planted in open ground.

Further care consists of the usual procedures for spinach. Used as fertilizer organic fertilizers, which are applied 2 times per season to pre-moistened soil. Since the stems grow over long distances, the bushes should be planted farther apart. To prevent heavy bushes with numerous berries from breaking, they tied to supports.

Another feature strawberry spinach is self-seeding, occurring with the help of fallen berries. The fruits are well preserved under snow cover and usually have subsequent shoots. Massive growth of greenery can lead to thickening of the bushes, so it is necessary to remove fallen berries if such propagation of spinach is not planned.

The fruits can be used to make jam and juice, as well as decorative ornaments. Juicy green leaves Spinach-raspberries are added to soups, salads and side dishes.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting occurs when 6–8 leaves form in one rosette. Ispolinsky and Godry ripen 20–25 days after planting the seeds in open ground; leaves of the New Zealand and Victoria varieties are collected within 1.5–2 months.

During harvest, the outer leaves tear off with extreme care so as not to damage the middle of the sockets. Best time to collect useful greens - morning, by the beginning of which the dew has dried, or evening, when moisture has not yet formed due to the drop in temperature. The leaves should be dry; collected wet specimens will quickly rot. Spinach is harvested when the crop blooms.

Spinach leaves are used not only for fresh for salads and various dishes, but also for preservation. Greens should be stored in a plastic bag or a damp piece of cloth placed in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0. +1 degrees. The shelf life of the leaves does not exceed 10 days.

If planned long-term storage greens, freshly picked leaves are washed, dried, cut and placed in containers or other containers that placed in freezer . The same treatment can be carried out for blanched and pureed spinach.

Spinach – vegetable annual plant, which resembles in its own way beneficial properties swan Due to its high content of vitamins, protein, fiber and other microelements, it is widely used in cooking. Many gourmets prefer this dietary product. You can eat fresh leaves, preserve them or boil them. Spinach is very popular in Western countries, it is used to prepare dishes for children. Spinach puree is a source of restoration of physical strength and has a healing effect on the body. Today, spinach is often consumed by many vegetarians and supporters healthy eating in Russia.

Spinach is part of the plant group have a long day. This means that it requires prolonged and intense lighting for full development and flowering.

He can easily bear low temperatures. Seeds can germinate at temperatures as low as 4 degrees. In hot climates, the plant enters the flowering phase. Overripe leaves already have an unpleasant taste.

Spinach is different high yield, which is achieved in short period time. 40 days after the appearance of the first shoots, you can receive a batch of finished high-quality products.

Good yield is ensured when the crop is grown on fertile soil, which has a slightly alkaline or neutral environment.

This plant needs constant soil moisture, but too much water can have a detrimental effect. When growing spinach at home, conditions must be observed: certain parameters indoor air humidity.

A window sill is an excellent place to grow spinach in a room. Housewives do not have to spend a lot of time and effort to grow it.

In the summer and spring months, when planting seeds, you do not need to resort to an artificial light source, but in the autumn-winter period you need to additionally turn on the lamps. The duration of daylight in the cold season should be at least 10 hours. On cloudy days, it is also necessary to turn on artificial light for the growth of young shoots.

Plastic or wooden flowerpots 15-20 cm high can be used as containers for sowing seeds. Seeds must be planted at some distance from each other. Make shallow furrows in the prepared soil and water them with water.

Ready-made soil mixtures used for flower crops. They do not contain peat, which oxidizes the soil. However the best option will become self-study soil. To do this, you need to mix one part of vermicompost and two parts of coconut fiber, which protects the soil from drying out and prevents stagnation of water. It is necessary to pour a small layer of expanded clay into the planting container, which will act as a kind of drainage. If you have difficulties purchasing coconut fiber, you can only use vermicompost. Periodically you need to add 1-2 teaspoons of perlite or vermiculite, which have the same properties as coconut fiber. These additives ensure the safety of the soil mixture and protect it from rotting.

Seeds must be pre-soaked in water before planting. room temperature for a day. Unlike lettuce, spinach seeds look a little larger. The sowing depth is 10-15 mm. Prepared flowerpots are covered on top plastic film so that the soil does not dry out. Within a week the first green shoots appear.

Glazed balconies or loggias are considered ideal place for growing spinach. In such rooms constant air humidity is maintained. If it is not possible to place a container with seedlings on the balcony, then you can use a window sill for this purpose. However, you should remember the fact that spinach is a moisture-loving plant, and winter time Apartment air is extremely dry. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly spray young leaves with a spray bottle. Above the flowerpots, you can install a structure like a greenhouse, which will be a frame with stretched polyethylene film and will make it possible to maintain a constant microclimate in the room.

The spinach crop is harvested over a period of 2-3 months, and then the plant undergoes morphological changes and enters the bolting phase. At proper organization Once planted and harvested, this green crop can be eaten all year round.

The soil used for growing spinach can be reused provided it is regularly fertilized with complex additives. The plant is considered fully formed and ready for harvesting when it reaches a height of 7-10 cm and has 5-7 leaves in the rosette.

Growing spinach on a windowsill (video)