Of all the leafy greens you can grow in your home garden, one of the most rewarding is baby spinach. Growing spinach from seed is a simple process and perfect for small spaces.
For more information on growing spinach, here is a basic guide to help:
Supplies needed
To grow spinach, you’ll need the following:
- Spinach seeds.
- While most varieties of spinach have the same growing process, the best choices for baby spinach are Catalina, Renegade or Bloomsdale.
- Nitrogen rich potting soil.
- Several pots or containers at least 12 inches deep by 12 inches in diameter.
- Spinach plants need at least 6 inches of space between them, so you can grow two full plants in a single container of this size.
How to grow baby spinach from seed
- Loosely fill your container with soil.
- Using fingers, a pencil or other small tool, poke four, ½ inch holes into the soil.
- Plant spinach seeds in each hole and cover gently with soil.
- Place the spinach container somewhere it will remain between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and get at least six hours of sun per day. Supplement with LED grow lamps if you don’t have a sunny spot.
- Water the seeds thoroughly, keeping the soil evenly moist but not soggy. To prevent overwatering the seedlings, wait to water again until the top inch of soil is dry.
- After 10-14 days, you should have visible leaf sprouts. Once the seedlings have four leaves, they’re ready to be transplanted into their individual containers.
- Harvest spinach approximately 40 days after planting. To encourage new leaf growth, only harvest leaves from the outside of the plant, always leaving at least one.
- Once your spinach plants are fully grown, you can continue to harvest leaves several more times as it regrows. The key is to never take more than ⅓ of the leaves at one time, as taking more will shock the plant and may prevent the growth of new baby spinach leaves.
If you use this simple method for growing spinach plants, you’ll have an excellent source of nutrient-rich leafy greens for salads, smoothies and any other dish you prefer.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
