Content
How to Eat Spinach
Health Benefits of Spinach
Intro
Do you want to grow spinach in a container? You may be asking yourself, why would I do that when I can just buy it at the grocery store? Well, we're here to tell you there are many benefits to growing your own. First of all, if you live in an apartment or condo and don't have room for a garden - this is perfect! Just find a pot with holes on the bottom and make sure it has drainage. Fill it up about 2/3 full with potting soil, put some seeds down about 6-8 inches apart from each other, cover them up with more soil. Water and watch them grow.
How to Choose the Pot Needed for Spinach
Growing spinach in pots is a great way to have fresh, organic spinach year-round. Pots are also easier for people with limited space or who don't want their garden visible from the street. The pot size will depend on your available growing area and whether you're planting one or more plants per container. If you are only growing a few the pot size should be between six and eight inches in diameter. For larger quantities, a ten to fifteen-inch pot is best.
The best material for a pot is ceramic, plastic, or terra cotta.
Sunlight Requirements
Spinach will need at least six hours of sunlight per day. Spinach is a cool-weather crop and should be planted in the spring.
If you can't provide enough light indoors, then spinach will not fare well because they need six hours of sunlight at the very least. Make sure that there are no obstacles blocking sunlight before planting seeds! Sunlight isn’t just important for healthy vegetables—it also produces vitamin D which protects against cancer and other diseases when we consume them.
Water Requirements
The recommended amount of water needed per day depends largely on how quickly your plant grows, but around two gallons (eight cups) should do for smaller plants and four or more for larger ones. Checking the soil for moisture can be done by sticking your finger into the soil to a depth of one inch; if it is moist, then there is no need for additional water.
Type of Soil Needed
I prefer to make a soil mix myself, but you may also choose a good potting soil. I like Happy Frog Potting Soil. It's essential to make sure you use a potting mix if you buy soil. Buying potting soil will get expensive. Well-draining soil is vital for growing in pots. Spinach needs well-draining loamy soil rich in organic matter.
A good soil mixture is one part compost, one part coco coir, and one part perlite. I add one tablespoon of greensand, one tablespoon of bone meal, one tablespoon of blood meal, and half a tablespoon of azomite to the mix. This is what I use for a one-gallon container.
How to Plant Spinach Seeds
Using soil blocks is an excellent way to start your seeds. Make your soil blocks, add them to a clear plastic container, and place them in a sunny location or under grow lights. Using a plastic container with a lid will create condensation so your seeds will stay moist and they will not need to be watered continually. Doing this will ensure that your seedlings will not be leggy when they germinate because they will have light soon after germination. When seedlings don't get the sunlight or grow light, they will grow tall and skinny. These will not be healthy or strong seedlings.
Using a heat mat will also help your seedlings to germinate. Spinach seeds germinate best in temperatures from 65 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spinach Growing Tips
A few tips to grow a spinach plant:
-Water the spinach frequently and deeply, especially in hot weather.
-Use a rich potting mix to ensure good drainage. Add lots of compost or aged animal manure for nutrients&humus if available.
-Plant your seeds early enough so that they can grow strong before it gets too cold out (spinach is one crop that prefers cool weather). You will have more time to harvest leaves as needed over the season!
-Make sure not to overwater since this plant does best with consistently moist soil but never wet from flooding them after rainfall events.
How to Eat Spinach
The way I enjoy eating my spinach is to mix it in a salad. However, cooked spinach is a great addition to dishes such as spaghetti and meat sauce or lasagna.
Spinach also makes for an easy cooking green if you keep it in the freezer.
If you are growing your own spinach- try this delicious recipe:
* Wash chopped baby spinach leaves thoroughly with cold water (this helps minimize any bitterness) then pat dry with paper towels -OR- use prewashed bagged organic greens.
* In a skillet heat olive oil on medium-high until hot and pour over the washed raw leaves before adding diced onions&garlic. Cook for nearly one minute stirring often so that they don't burn, then add lemon juice & crushed red pepper flakes and stir all together well.
* Add a can of diced tomatoes and simmer for about ten minutes or until there is no liquid left in the skillet.
You might decide to include salt&pepper, white wine vinegar (or balsamic), cinnamon, allspice, or any other spices you like to add flavor.
* Serve hot over toast with melted butter on top. You'll have four servings with this recipe if using one pound of greens!
Health Benefits of Spinach
The amazing health benefits of spinach include the prevention of many different diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cataracts. It's a good source of vitamin K!
One cup has over 100% daily value (DV) for vitamins A&C with additional DVs from folate and iron. Spinach is an excellent source of magnesium, potassium, and folate.
Spinach is a superfood because it provides so many essential nutrients without any fat or cholesterol! Consuming spinach can improve the absorption of iron from other foods in your diet by up to six-fold. Spinach also contains carotenoids that act as antioxidants and helps prevent cancer and heart disease while supporting healthy eye health with its high levels of vitamin A&C.
Whether you’re looking for a way to get your kids to eat their veggies or give yourself some variety in what goes on the dinner table, growing spinach is an easy solution. There are many different methods and varieties of containers that will work well for this task so it won’t take up a lot of space but still provide enough room for healthy growth. Let us know what your favorite ways to enjoy fresh grown spinach are!
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