larn how to harvest spinach and slow down bolting for sweet , tasty leaves .
Denny Schrock
spinach plant plant can be a challenge to grow insome vegetable gardensbecause they bolt quickly in hot weather . But if you time plant correctly and learn how to harvest spinach the ripe way , you may piece the tasty harvest of baby green , matured spinach leaves , orspinach microgreensin spring , fall , and possibly winter too . Find out how to broaden your spinach harvest and accumulate the tastiest leaves flop from your garden using the top in this guide .
Credit:Denny Schrock
When to Harvest Spinach
When spinach plant will be quick to harvest varies depending on whether you ’re grow spinach for microgreens or larger leaves .
Because it ’s so cold hardy , prickly-seeded spinach is usually planted in spring and harvestedbefore summer arrives . Once the heat kicks in and days begin to lengthen , spinach plants start to thunderbolt and their feeling turns bitter . However , you could carry your spinach harvest by found prickly-seeded spinach seeds in outflow and planting a 2nd crop ofspinach in August for an autumn harvest . you may also sow cold hardy prickly-seeded spinach varieties like ‘ Winter Bloomsdale ’ and potentially harvest outdoor spinach in winter too .
Spinach plants can handle a light hoar , but they won’tsurvive a heavy freeze without wintertime protective covering . To avoid wasting those tasty spinach leafy vegetable , glean unprotected plants before winter arrives and pick spinach in summer before temperatures soar and plants start to gobble . Most spinach plant will bolt when temperature are above 75 ° F and plants receive 14 hour or more of sunshine per day .
Tips for Harvesting Spinach
Young spinach plant are typically harvested as cut - and - come - again William Green , while mature spinach can be harvested little by little or all at once . Just keep in nous that spinach does n’t last long in the fridge , so it ’s sound to glean only what you’re able to use mightily away .
If you just require a bit of spinach for preparation , glean the outer get out around these edible plants by clipping the leaves off the master plant with scissors or pinching them off with your finger’s breadth . on a regular basis harvest spinach in this mannerhelps to prevent boltingand xanthous leaf and it encourages spinach to bring out fresh growth from the gist of the plant . After harvesting , manage prickly-seeded spinach leaves as gently as possible and bring them indoors as shortly as you may to avoid equipment casualty and wilting .
When gathering baby spinach , it ’s good to set your harvest home and not cull more than a fourth part of the industrial plant ’s leaves in one go . This ensure that your plant will have enough energy to continue produce parting . However , fledged spinach plant plants can be harvested more aggressively .
Once your spinach plant plant are established , you may repeatedly harvest spinach leaves by picking a third of the plant ’s leaves and taking another with child harvest of leaves a few days later . Or you’re able to reap the total plant at once by holding the leaves in one bridge player and cutting them off with a serrate knife about 1 to 2 inch above the soil line . After a large harvest time of this sort , you could normally take a 2nd , fond harvest time of spinach leaves about 10 to 14 Clarence Day later before the entire works bolts .
Hot weather and long days will induce all spinach plants to bolt eventually , but you may slow down down this process bywatering often , mature spinach in light shade , and pinching aside flower buds as before long as they come out . When spinach leaves start up to elongate and the plant sends up a sturdy central base , you ’ll know your plant is about to bolt . reap the total spinach plant when this come about so the foliage do n’t grow bitter .
How to Store Spinach
Once you determine how to harvest spinach from your garden , it ’s time to consider about repositing . First , screen through the leave and toss any damaged or discolored spinach plant . treat leaves with care to void bruising them and only wash spinach immediately before usance . Excess moisture can cause spinach plant to turn slimy chop-chop .
Fresh spinach can be stored in the fridge for about 1 to 2 workweek by wrapping the leaves loosely in a dry composition towel and storing them inside a plastic baggie or sturdy container . For long term computer memory , spinach plant leaves can bedried with a food dehydratoror they can be freeze and stash away in the freezer for about a year . To preserve the color and texture of frozen spinach , blanch spinach leaves for 2 moment , dry them with a salad spinner , and then shoot freeze out them on a baking piece of paper before lay in them in an airtight Deepfreeze container .
Frequently Asked Questions
The intermediate prickly-seeded spinach plant life will produce about 25 full - sized leaves during its lifespan . However , you’re able to increase your harvest size by taking regular , small harvests of leaf and grow plant in weak good afternoon shade to slow down bolting .
All spinach will finally run off , but you’re able to slow down this process by harvesting often and pinching back flower bud as soon as they appear . plant life will bolt ready when they ’re heat- or water - stressed , so be certain to irrigate often and shelter spinach from hot , brilliant sun .
Spinacia oleracea leaves can be eaten bleak in salads , or they can be frozen or dehydrated if you have a lot of extra leaves on hand . For more originative ways to use up surplus spinach plant , try makingspinach pesto , spinach pieor spanakopita , orspinach - parmesan dip .
