Spinacia oleracea is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to September. The species is dioecious . and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils. It can grow in semi-shade or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Plants grow best and produce their heaviest crop of leaves on a nitrogen-rich soil. They dislike very heavy or very light soils. They also dislike acid soils, preferring a neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Plants require plenty of moisture in the growing season, dry summers causing the plants to quickly run to seed. Summer crops do best in light shade to encourage more leaf production before the plant goes to seed, winter crops require a warm dry sunny position. Young plants are hardy to about -9°c. Spinach is often cultivated for its edible leaves, there are some named varieties. These varieties can be grouped into two main types as detailed below:- Forms with prickly seeds. These are the more primitive forms. Their leaves are more lobed and they are in general more cold tolerant and also more resistant of summer heat. They were more often used to produce a crop in the winter. Forms with round seeds have been developed in cultivation, These have broader leaves, tend to be less cold hardy and were also more prone to bolt in hot weather. They were used mainly for the summer crop. Most new cultivars are of the round seeded variety and these have been developed to be more resistant to bolting in hot weather, more cold tolerant, to produce more leaves and also to be lower in calcium oxalate which causes bitterness and also has negative nutritional effects upon the body. Some modern varieties have been developed that are low in oxalic acid. Edible leaves can be obtained all year round from successional sowings. The summer varieties tend to run to seed fairly quickly, especially in hot dry summers and so you need to make successional sowings every few weeks if a constant supply is required. Winter varieties provide leaves for a longer period, though they soon run to seed when the weather warms up. Spinach grows well with strawberries. It also grows well with cabbages, onions, peas and celery. A fast-growing plant, the summer crop can be interplanted between rows of slower growing plants such as Brussels sprouts. The spinach would have been harvested before the other crop needs the extra space. Spinach is a bad companion for grapes and hyssop.
HabitatsNot known in the wild.HabitatsCultivated Beds
HabitatsCultivated Beds
Resources
az1762 2018
az1762April 2018
Common Terms In Water Recycling And
Agricultural Irrigation
Jessica Dery, Channah Rock, Jean E. McLain, and Daniel Gerrityhttps://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1762-201…az1762 2018az1762 2018
az1762April 2018
The University of Arizonahttps://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1762-201…
Common Terms In Water Recycling And
Agricultural Irrigation
Jessica Dery, Channah Rock, Jean E. McLain, and Daniel Gerrityaz1762 2018
az1762April 2018
The University of Arizonahttps://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1762-201…
Common Terms In Water Recycling And
Agricultural Irrigation
Jessica Dery, Channah Rock, Jean E. McLain, and Daniel GerrityGrowing Vegetable Transplants, March 28, 2016
Tales from the Field, March 28, 2016
Growing Vegetable Transplants
Leanne Pundt, Extension Educator,Here are some resources to help you:
http://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/922/2016greenhousepestmessageMarch28.pdfGrowing Vegetable Transplants, March 28, 2016Growing Vegetable Transplants, March 28, 2016
Tales from the Field, March 28, 2016
CT Integrated Pest Management Programhttp://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/922/2016greenhousepestmessageMarch28.pdf
Growing Vegetable Transplants
Leanne Pundt, Extension Educator,
Here are some resources to help you:Growing Vegetable Transplants, March 28, 2016
Tales from the Field, March 28, 2016
CT Integrated Pest Management Programhttp://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/922/2016greenhousepestmessageMarch28.pdf
Growing Vegetable Transplants
Leanne Pundt, Extension Educator,
Here are some resources to help you:
Major pests
- Agrotis segetum
Autographa gamma
Autographa nigrisigna
Beet mild yellowing virus
Beet necrotic yellow vein virus
Beet western yellows virus yellows
Broad bean wilt virus
Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris
Cercospora beticola
Chamomilla recutita
Choanephora cucurbitarum
Clavigralla tomentosicollis
Colletotrichum dematium
Galinsoga parviflora
Helicotylenchus dihystera
Heterodera schachtii
Liriomyza sativae
Liriomyza trifolii
Listroderes costirostris
Lolium temulentum
Longidorus
Myzus persicae
Nacobbus aberrans
Orobanche
Peronospora farinosa
Phytophthora cryptogea
Piesma quadratum
Pratylenchus penetrans
Pythium aphanidermatum
Pythium ultimum
Pythium vexans
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Senecio vulgaris
Spodoptera frugiperda
Spodoptera littoralis
Spoladea recurvalis
Tobacco leaf curl virus
Trichoplusia ni
Minor pests
- Achatina fulica
Acyrthosiphon pisum
Albugo occidentalis
Alternaria alternata
Aphis fabae
Aphis gossypii
Bean yellow mosaic virus
Beet curly top virus
Beet yellows virus
Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus
Cirsium arvense
Cladosporium variabile
Cochliobolus lunatus
Cucumber mosaic virus
Delia platura
Ditylenchus dipsaci
Dociostaurus maroccanus
Epitrix tuberis
Fallopia convolvulus
Feltia subterranea
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. spinaciae
Globisporangium irregulare
Helicoverpa zea
Impatiens necrotic spot virus
Lettuce mosaic virus
Leveillula taurica
Liriomyza bryoniae
Liriomyza huidobrensis
Lolium multiflorum
Meloidogyne ethiopica
Meloidogyne incognita
Myrothecium verrucaria
Olive mild mosaic virus
Olpidium brassicae
Orobanche aegyptiaca
Pangaeus bilineatus
Pegomya hyoscyami
Penicillium digitatum
Peridroma saucia
Peronospora farinosa f.sp. spinaciae
Pieris rapae
Pleospora betae
Pleospora tarda
Polymyxa betae
Pythium myriotylum
Rhodococcus fascians
Sowbane mosaic virus
Spodoptera eridania
Spodoptera exigua
Spodoptera praefica
Stellaria media
Tetranychus cinnabarinus
Tobacco rattle virus
Tomato spotted wilt virus
Tuta absoluta
Verticillium dahliae