Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
A vegetable, sown March to May.
In September: cover the spinach with a cloche or fleece and sow another batch.
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Spinach, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow under cover. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | none | none | none |
| Sow outdoors. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | none | none |
| Cover the spinach with a cloche or fleece. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Sow another batch of spinach. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | usual |
| Pick a few spinach leaves at a time. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Protect the spinach over winter. | none | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Sowing and planting
Sow under cover in March, 1cm deep. Strong sources: RHS and Garden Organic.
Sow outdoors April to May, 2.5cm deep, 15cm apart, rows 20cm apart. Strong sources: RHS and Gardeners’ World.
Cover the spinach with a cloche or fleece
Cover early sowings, as cold makes young plants flower too soon (bolt).
Usually February to May, and September to November. Moderate source: RHS.
Sow another batch of spinach
Gardeners call this successional sowing.
Sow every few weeks, and sow plenty for cooking, as the leaves shrink a lot.
Usually March to May, and August to November. Strong source: RHS.
Pick a few spinach leaves at a time
Gardeners call this cut-and-come-again harvesting.
Usually May to August. Strong source: RHS.
Protect the spinach over winter
Grow hardy varieties and cover with cloches or fleece, unless your area is particularly mild.
Usually October. Strong source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Spinach” comes from.