Spinach: growing from seeds at home, collecting and storing

Spinach varieties

Growing any crop begins with the selection of seeds, since the quality, quantity and time of harvest to a certain extent depend on the varietal characteristics. Among the variety of varieties of spinach greens, for planting on the windowsill, you should choose high-yielding hybrid varieties, if possible, early ripe and with good taste characteristics:

1. Victoria. It differs in small, rounded leaves with barely noticeable small pimples, collected in a dense small rosette. The variety is not early ripening (the ripening period is 25-40 days), however, the compactness of the bush allows you to plant the plant on the windowsill.
2. Strawberry (berry). The leaves of this variety are characterized by a light strawberry aroma, and its peculiarity is that not only greens, but also fruits can be eaten. This is a very early ripening variety – it is harvested in the garden in early spring, and on the windowsill the first greenery can be cut 2-3 weeks after planting.
3. Matador. Late high-yielding variety with juicy, smooth, grayish leaves, outwardly similar to sorrel. The ripening period is 40-50 days. Matador is highly resistant to cold, disease and other adverse factors, as it is a hybrid and well adapted variety.
4. Gigantic. Medium-sized leaves of a light green hue form a dense rosette, which is recommended to be cut off completely. Greens have a delicate taste, often used for baby food, canning. The ripening period of the culture is up to 30 days.
5. Oily. Mid-season variety with slightly embossed leaves, collected in a small rosette 20-30 cm in diameter. The ripening period is 30-40 days.

The above describes several varieties bred recently, the cultivation of which at home is most popular. These species are distinguished by their compact leaf part and good adaptation to growing conditions, however, any of the varieties you like can be used for sowing on the windowsill.

Video “How to grow greens at home”

Demonstrative video with the necessary recommendations.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

To sow spinach with seeds on the windowsill, it is necessary to prepare the seed, soil mixture and containers in which the greens will be grown. Seed preparation involves soaking them for a day in warm water, and then for several more hours in a solution of potassium permanganate – this procedure is needed to disinfect the material.

Next, you need to prepare the soil for growing crops. Spinach grows well in a light, nutritious and permeable soil mixture with neutral acidity, which can be prepared from 2 parts coconut fibers and 1 part vermicompost. When planting, it is imperative to use drainage, as the culture loves abundant watering, but at the same time, stagnant moisture is harmful to it.

When choosing a container in which you plan to plant spinach, immediately decide how the greens will be grown: in this very pot, or with subsequent picking into separate containers. If transplanting seedlings is not expected, then it is better to immediately take a large pot or plastic box. If you dive young shoots, then the capacity may be small, since excess plants will still be removed.

After the drainage is laid in the pot and the substrate is covered, you can plant the seeds. The soil must be well moistened before sowing the seeds, then small indentations should be made in it, into which the planting material should be planted by 1-1,5 cm. It should be borne in mind that each plant requires 8-10 cm of usable area. After sowing the seeds, the container is covered with glass until the first shoots appear.

Spinach is a cold-resistant plant and its seeds can germinate even at a temperature of +6 ° C, however, when the crop is kept on a windowsill, the temperature of +15-17 ° C is considered optimal. In such conditions, the first shoots appear in about a week. When the plants have 2-3 leaves, they can be dived into separate pots.

Care

Further growing spinach greens on the windowsill is to create conditions that are as similar to natural as possible. Illumination plays a big role in culture. If spinach is sown in the spring, and the window on which it grows faces the sunny side, then we can assume that the light regime is provided for it. If the plants had to be planted in winter, additional lighting is indispensable. Artificial lighting in winter or cloudy time should be at least 2 hours a day.

The temperature regime is no less important for the growth of greenery. Temperatures above 20 ° C accelerate the growth of green mass and leads to the rapid release of the peduncle. To prevent this from happening, you must always maintain the optimum degree and monitor the humidity of the air. In room conditions, spinach should be sprayed with water daily, and in a hot and dry period several times a day.

Watering is carried out regularly, but as needed, since the plants are equally detrimental to both drying and excessive moisture. After watering, the soil should be slightly loosened. Given that the cultivation of spinach greens lasts no more than 2 months, top dressing during the growing season can be omitted. However, if the crop will be re-sown in the pot, then any organic top dressing must be applied to the soil. If there is no organic matter in urban conditions, then in a flower shop you can buy fertilizer with humates.  

Collection and storage

Spinach begins to be harvested when the plant has 5-7 leaves – in early ripening varieties this happens approximately 3-4 weeks after sowing the seeds. The leaves can be plucked all at once, leaving only the middle of the rosette, but experienced gardeners recommend removing about half the greens at a time – this technique allows you to extend the harvest period by several weeks. Spinach leaves must be carefully broken off or cut off – you can’t pull and tear off, as this can damage the entire bush. Harvesting is best done in the morning or late evening, as the greens harvested in the afternoon wither quickly. Also, do not pick spinach during or after rain – wet leaves rot faster. Like all herbal crops, spinach greens are harvested until the time when flower stalks form on the bush – after flowering, the leaves become stiff and bitter.

Fresh spinach greens can be stored at temperatures from 0 to +1 ° C for 5-8 days. At the same time, the leaves to be stored must be dry. However, it should be borne in mind that in the refrigerator, greens lose their nutritional properties over time, so it is advisable to use it for food as soon as possible.

In many supermarkets, you can find vacuum-packed spinach leaves – this method allows you to keep the freshness of the greens longer. But in this case, you need to open the vacuum packaging immediately before use. For longer storage, fresh spinach greens can be frozen, dried, salted, canned and mashed.

Freezing is the easiest and most useful way of harvesting, since freezing preserves all the nutrients and vitamins. And the simplicity of the process lies in the fact that the leaves just need to be washed well, dried a little, cut off the roots, and, if desired, chopped – however, it is easier to freeze the whole leaves. Some housewives blanch greens before freezing, and only after that they place them in the freezer.

Greens in the form of mashed potatoes can be canned, as well as frozen. To do this, rinse the leaves, dry, then grind in a blender to a puree state. If freezing is expected, then the spinach mass is poured into portioned containers, after which it is placed in the cold. For preservation, spinach puree is blanched, then poured into sterilized jars and covered with lids. Alternatively, blanched puree can also be frozen.

Until now, there are housewives who, in the old fashioned way, salt all the greens for the winter. This method consists in the fact that fresh prepared greens, laid in layers in jars, are sprinkled with salt. Such blanks are stored only in a cold place, and not for very long. Like any green, spinach leaves can be dried. Before that, they need to be washed, dried on a towel, cut, then placed in a dry, shaded place in the open air, and covered with gauze. After a couple of days, the dried greens are put into jars or cloth bags for further storage.

Video “Useful properties of spinach”

Informative video with information about the beneficial properties of greens.