Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Vegetables Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
A nutrient-dense leafy green superfood packed with iron, calcium, vitamins A, C, and K, plus folate. Spinach is a cool-season crop that bolts quickly in heat. Available in smooth-leaf, savoy (crinkled), and semi-savoy varieties. Best grown in spring and fall for tender, sweet leaves.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun to partial shade (4-6 hrs)
💧
Water
Every 2-3 days
💨
Humidity
Moderate to high (50-70%)
🌡️
Temperature
10-20°C
🪴
Soil
Moisture-retentive, well-draining loam rich in organic matter; pH 6.0-7.0
🧪
Fertilizer
Nitrogen-rich fertilizer at planting; side-dress with nitrogen every 2 weeks for continuous leaf production
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
पालक
BN
Bengali
পালং শাক
MR
Marathi
पालक
TE
Telugu
పాలక్
TA
Tamil
கீரை
GU
Gujarati
પાલક
UR
Urdu
پالک
KN
Kannada
ಪಾಲಕ
OR
Odia
ପାଳକ
ML
Malayalam
ചീര
PA
Punjabi
ਪਾਲਕ
AS
Assamese
পালক
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Ancient Persia (Iran)
- 📏 Max height
- 20-30 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 15-30 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow-Green
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic; extremely nutritious. Contains oxalates — people prone to kidney stones should consume cooked spinach in moderation
- 🌱 Propagation
- Direct sow seeds 1 cm deep in early spring or late summer; soak seeds overnight to improve germination; thin to 10-15 cm apart
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic; extremely nutritious. Contains oxalates — people prone to kidney stones should consume cooked spinach in moderation
Common issues
- Bolting (going to seed) in warm weather
- Downy mildew in cool wet conditions
- Leaf miner larvae tunneling in leaves
💡 Care tips
- Cool-season crop that bolts and turns bitter in heat above 24°C
- Harvest outer leaves first for extended cut-and-come-again picking
- Rich in iron and vitamins making it a superfood staple
- Sow seeds every 3 weeks from early spring through fall
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 3 days, fertilizing every 14 days.
