Spinach — Spinacia oleracea
layout: base.njk title: Spinach description: Growing Spinach in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: cool-season
Type: Annual (biennial grown as annual)
Family: Amaranthaceae (formerly Chenopodiaceae)
Sun: Full sun to part shade (afternoon shade in warm weather)
Water: Moderate to high (consistent moisture, 1-1.5" per week)
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5 (prefers neutral to slightly alkaline)
Hardiness: Zones 2-11 (cool season annual, extremely cold hardy)
🌱 Expected Yield
- Per plant: 4-8 oz for full-size varieties. Baby spinach: 1-2 oz per harvest (cut-and-come-again).
- Per 10' row: 6-10 lbs (full size). 3-5 lbs (baby, cut-and-come-again).
- Per season: With succession planting (spring + fall + overwintered): 15-25 lbs per 10' row.
🏺 Heirloom Varieties (5-10+)
'Bloomsdale Long Standing'
- Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com)
- Days: 48 days
- Notes: Classic American heirloom from 1920s. Dark green, heavily savoyed (crinkled) leaves. Extremely cold hardy—can overwinter. Slow to bolt. Rich, earthy flavor. Standard for home gardens for nearly a century.
'Giant Winter'
- Source: Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com)
- Days: 50 days
- Notes: Large, dark green leaves. Exceptional cold tolerance—harvest through winter under row cover. Slow bolting. Less savoyed than Bloomsdale. Mild, sweet flavor when cold-grown.
'Space'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds (highmowingseeds.com)
- Days: 42 days
- Notes: Modern hybrid, F1. Smooth, dark green leaves. Extremely bolt-resistant. Downy mildew resistant (races 1-15). Uniform growth, excellent for baby leaf production. Sweet, mild flavor. Industry standard for pre-washed bagged spinach.
'Tyee'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Territorial Seed Company (territorialseed.com)
- Days: 50 days
- Notes: All-American Selections winner (1978). Smooth, medium-green leaves. Excellent bolt resistance and disease tolerance. Reliable producer. Downy mildew resistant. Mild flavor, good for cooking and fresh eating.
'Renegade'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Days: 43 days
- Notes: Hybrid, F1. Semi-savoyed, dark green leaves. Downy mildew resistant (races 1-16). Cold tolerant, slow to bolt. Excellent for spring and fall. Vigorous grower. Good for both baby leaf and full size.
'Winter Bloomsdale'
- Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (southernexposure.com)
- Days: 55 days
- Notes: Improved Bloomsdale strain. Heavily savoyed, dark green. Extremely cold hardy. Slow growing but productive. Can overwinter with protection. Rich, mineral flavor. Best planted in fall for spring harvest.
'Butterflay'
- Source: Rare Seed Exchange, Baker Creek
- Days: 52 days
- Notes: Dutch heirloom. Large, smooth, paddle-shaped leaves. Tender texture (hence "butterflay"). Slow to bolt. Cold tolerant. Mild, sweet flavor. Excellent for cooking (doesn't reduce as much as savoyed types).
'Catalina'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Burpee (burpee.com)
- Days: 45 days
- Notes: Hybrid, F1. Semi-savoyed, medium green. Downy mildew resistant. Excellent bolt resistance. Uniform color and growth. Good for baby leaf and full size. Crisp texture, mild flavor.
'Gazelle'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds
- Days: 40 days
- Notes: Hybrid, F1. Smooth, dark green leaves. Fast growing, uniform. Excellent for baby leaf production. Bolt resistant. Downy mildew resistant (races 1-15). Tender, sweet flavor. Popular with market growers.
'Amazon'
- Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Stokes Seeds (stokeseeds.com)
- Days: 52 days
- Notes: Open-pollinated. Deep green, savoyed leaves. Excellent cold tolerance. Slow to bolt. Vigorous grower. Good for spring and fall crops. Rich, earthy spinach flavor.
🌾 Seed Saving
- Method: Spinach is dioecious (separate male and female plants) or monoecious (both on same plant). Wind-pollinated, so isolation is critical. Plants bolt in response to long days and warm temperatures.
Allow plants to flower—male plants produce tall, branched flower stalks with small green flowers. Female plants have clustered flowers at leaf axils. Seeds mature 2-3 weeks after flowering, turning from green to tan/brown.
Cut seed stalks when most seeds are brown and dry. Hang in paper bags in cool, dry place with good airflow for 2-3 weeks. Rub dried clusters to release seeds (each "seed" is actually a fruit containing 1-4 true seeds). - Isolation distance: 2-5 miles for pure seed (wind-pollinated).
For home use with one variety, 1/2 mile minimum is safer. Cage individual plants if growing multiple varieties. - Viability: 3-5 years when stored in cool, dry, dark conditions in airtight containers. Spinach seeds are relatively large and store well. - Special notes: Spinach requires vernalization (exposure to cold, 35-50°F for 6-8 weeks) to flower in many climates.
For seed saving, overwinter plants or start very early and let them bolt in summer heat. Save seed from 5-10 plants minimum to maintain genetic diversity. Select for bolt resistance, disease resistance, and desirable leaf characteristics.
Spinach seeds have a hard coat—some sources recommend light scarification (rubbing between sandpaper) to improve germination, though not strictly necessary..
Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead
🌾 Natural Soil Amendments (Loop Farmstead Standard)
Only on-farm, regenerative inputs:
- Compost: 1-2 inches annually (on-farm production)
- Cover crops: Rye + vetch (fall), buckwheat (summer), daikon (compaction)
- Wood chips: Pathways only (aged 2+ years for beds)
- Fall leaves: Mulch or compost browns
- Blood/bone meal: From farm-slaughtered animals
- Biochar: Charged with compost tea (permanent carbon)
- Wood ash: Light application from wood stove
- Eggshells: Crushed/powdered (slow calcium)
❌ Never used: Synthetic fertilizers, mined minerals, gypsum, peat moss
See: natural_soil_amendments_standard.md for complete guide