Spinach, Space

Space spinach is a heat-tolerant variety that's slower to bolt than most spinach, giving you extra weeks of harvest before hot weather hits. The smooth, dark green leaves are perfect for salads when small or cooking when larger, and the plants handle spring and fall growing equally well.

Spinach: Spinach is a cool-season superfood and nutritional powerhouse, offering more vitamins and minerals per calorie than almost any other vegetable. This leafy green grows rapidly in cold weather. Choose Savoy types for crinkled leaves that hold dressings well, flat-leaf varieties for easy cleaning and bolt resistance, or enjoy baby spinach ready in just 3-4 weeks. The key to success is cool weather; temperatures above 75°F will cause the plant to bolt rapidly, turning the leaves bitter. Fall crops are typically superior and post-frost harvests yield the sweetest leaves.

• Growing Tips: Transplant 4-6 weeks before last frost for spring or late summer for fall crop, spacing 4-6 inches apart; fall crops are generally more successful.

• Sun Requirements: Full sun in cool weather, partial shade in warm weather (4-6 hours minimum).

• Preferred Soil: Rich, well-drained, moist soil high in nitrogen.

• Harvest Details: Begin harvesting outer leaves when 3-4 inches long or cut entire plant 1 inch above the soil for regrowth; maturity in 40-50 days; quality declines rapidly in heat.