- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a cool-season leafy green that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family, along with Swiss chard and beets. Native to Asia, spinach has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. Known for its nutritional benefits, popularized by the Popeye the Sailor Man cartoon in the United States, spinach is grown for both fresh market and processing. The United States is the second largest producer of spinach in the world, annually harvesting 960,600 pounds of spinach from 62,850 acres with a value of over $529 million.
Spinach cultivars normally are categorized as savoy, semi-savoy, or smooth. Savoy and semi-savoy refer to the amount of wrinkling of the leaves. Smooth varieties are normally grown for processing, such as freezing and canning, as these are quicker growing and higher yielding. Savoy types most often are grown for fresh market and in-home gardens, because these have a longer shelf life, greater bag fill, and sweeter taste. Semi-savoy hybrids have gained in popularity and can be produced for both fresh and processing markets.
Spinach can be harvested for baby leaf production and full-size leaves and offer an opportunity for multiple harvests. The USDA designates small (or baby) leaves as measuring up to 3.5 inches from the leaf tip to the petiole base. Direct seeded spinach for baby leaf production will reach maturity in three to five weeks, depending on the time of year and environmental conditions. A second cut is possible in approximately four to six weeks. Full-size spinach leaves can be bunched or sold loose, often measuring at least five inches in length from leaf tip to petiole base.
When choosing a spinach cultivar, growers should pay close attention to the season in which the spinach will be produced. Specific cultivars have been developed for early spring and fall, summer, or overwinter production. As early spring and fall provide the most ideal conditions for spinach growth, most varieties perform well, including the most common open-pollinated cultivar, Bloomsdale. Cultivars developed for summer cultivation are slower bolting and include Indian Summer, Olympia, and Aztec. Spinach cultivars grown for overwinter high tunnel production generally have a more upright growth habit for ease of harvesting. Popular varieties for winter high tunnel production include Auroch, Regiment, Giant Winter, Gazelle, and Space.
