Frozen spinach is available all year round in the supermarket. The fresh leafy vegetables also have a long, extended season, because the large selection of varieties offers the right choice for every season. The harvest dates extend from spring to autumn.
Leaf spinach can be harvested almost all year round
harvest times
When you can harvest spinach depends on the variety being planted. The early varieties are characterized by particularly tender leaves that are eaten raw in salads. Later breeds taste a bit more bitter and have a tart and spicy note. Their leaves are more robust and can therefore be stored for longer. They are mainly used as an ingredient for hot dishes.
Spinach season at a glance:
- spring spinach: after sowing from March to April, the harvest takes place between May and June
- summer spinach: sow from April to June and harvest until August
- autumn spinach: comes into the bed between July and September and is ready for harvest from September to December
- winter spinach: can be sown up to the end of September and is in season from February to April
Spring and summer spinach
In spring, early varieties can be sown directly outdoors and harvested after a short time. Here the conditions are optimal so that the plants do not shoot. Row sowing at a depth of two centimeters with a distance of three to five centimeters between the individual seeds is ideal. The seeds germinate at temperatures of ten to twelve degrees in deep, loosened and not too sandy soil. The plants do not tolerate direct sunlight and heat. They like a spot in the light shade.
Autumn and winter spinach
The fall spinach season spans the months of September and October, with leafy greens also yielding well into winter in mild regions. Winter varieties are sown in the bed at the end of the autumn season. With good winter protection from garden fleece or brushwood, the seeds will last until next spring.
The harvest takes place from the end of February when the fresh leaves shoot out of the ground. Sunny areas favor growth. An ideal variety for humid locations is 'Matador', while 'Monnopa', 'Mazurka' and 'Vital' are considered resistant to powdery mildew.
Harvest right
Spinach plants grown this year will be ready to harvest in six to eight weeks. Harvesting occurs earlier in greenhouses and cold frames than outdoors. The harvest window gets smaller the more the season shifts into the summer months. The spinach harvest ends at the latest when the plants start to shoot.
time
Pick the leafy greens in the evening on sunny days, because then the nitrate content is low. Leave the roots in the ground, as they release saponins and promote the growth of subsequent crops.
tips
Pluck only individual leaves from the plants and leave the heart. In this way, spinach grows back continuously and can be harvested up to four times.