Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by Real Men Sow
Growing perpetual spinach is almost like raising a double agent – It is easy to mistake where it belongs, whether it’s beet or actual spinach. Perpetual spinach carries easy-growing qualities as beetroot and also a rich flavor that resembles real spinach.
Regardless of its factual category (yes, it’s a beet), perpetual spinach is a great vitamin and mineral source! Because of that, this vegetable has been one of my favorite vegs to sow.
After many trials, I have found that perpetual spinach is easier to grow than true spinach. It constantly produces new crops as they’re picked, making them suitable for small vegetable gardens. This growing guide will show you how and when to sow perpetual spinach. – Just so that you can enrich your kitchen counter with another great veg.
Best Place to Grow Perpetual Spinach Plant
The Perpetual Spinach loves a well-worked soil that has good drainage and high organic content. Remember that they don’t like acid soil, so make sure to check what kind of soil you have before growing them. Their soil should be kept moist to make their leaves grow quickly.
They can grow in the poorest-soil and shady part of the garden but it’s best to give them good compost, manures, and fertilizers. The plant should have plenty of water to minimize its bitter-midsummer taste.
The outer leaves can grow as much as you want. It’s important to discard the leaves that are beginning to wilt, are damaged by insects, or are turning brown. You’ll have to remove a lot if it gets out of hand, and that’s okay because the inner leaves would take over quickly.
Time to Grow Perpetual Spinach
Sowing can be done in spring to get crops through summer and autumn. You can also sow after midsummer, to get production overwinter and spring.
Transplanting Spinach Seeds
Use a dibber to make rows of 2in deep holes at the place where you’ll be transplanting them. The seedlings should be 2in – 3in apart. They are tolerant to crowding, worrying can be avoided even if they appear too close.
Put the seedlings to the holes and plant them firmly. After that they should be watered-well, and make sure you won’t disturb its roots.
Care for Spinach Plant
The Perpetual Spinach is for cooler temperatures, putting it where it’s the opposite would slow down its leaves production. However, they tolerate heat better than spinach.
Harvesting Perpetual Spinach
After 4 – 6 weeks, you’ll be able to harvest the leaves that are large enough. The leaves should only be left to grow until 3in long, don’t let them get longer than 10in or they’ll taste earthy. You can either take a few leaves off at a time, or you can cut the entire plant to 3in. Don’t worry about cutting them, they’ll grow back. If you keep on harvesting, they’ll produce more and more all season.
As the weather cools, the leaves become their tastiest state. The plant tolerates frosts, even if the outer leaves become frozen, the inner leaves will be protected. You’ll only have to cut the frozen damaged leaves out.
How To Store the Spinach
The harvested and unwashed leaves could be wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Remove the debris from the leaves by dunking and soaking them in plenty of water. The leaves should be placed in a large bowl, pot, or simply a clan sink filled with cold water. Clean them one by one, then proceed to remove the leaves and place them in another container. Repeat the process until the water used to clean it is free of the debris.
You can dry the leaves in a spinner if you’re planning to use them in a salad.
