When is the best time to sow spinach seeds, and how do you grow it?

Spinach is a common vegetable in daily life, and it is deeply loved by people because it can be eaten in many ways and has high nutritional value. At present, most areas of our country are growing it. So when is the best time to sow spinach seeds? How do you grow it?

1. Introduction to spinach:

1. Why should spinach be blanched?

Spinach should be blanched because it contains oxalic acid. When oxalic acid sticks to the surface of the teeth, it reacts with the calcium contained in the teeth, causing a puckery feeling in the mouth. When eating spinach, you can put it in boiling water and blanch it briefly for a few minutes, then dress it with sesame oil. This can both remove the oxalic acid and retain the nutrients in the spinach.

2. Why is spinach called spinach?

Spinach was originally called Persian grass, because it was introduced into our country from Persia (present-day Iran), so it is called spinach. The place of origin of spinach was Persia in western Asia 2000 years ago, and it was passed through North Africa by the Moors to Spain and other countries in Western Europe. The Tang Huiyao clearly records that spinach seeds were introduced into our country from Nepal as tribute during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

2. When is the best time to sow spinach seeds?

1. Sowing time for spring spinach seeds: after the beginning of spring, when the temperature rises above 5 degrees, sowing can begin. Sowing in March is preferable. Harvest 30-50 days after sowing. For varieties, it is best to choose late-bolting, broad-leaved types such as Late Round-Leaf Spinach, Spring and Autumn Large Leaf, Shenyang Round Leaf, and Liaoning Round Leaf.

2. Sowing time for summer spinach seeds: summer spinach is often sown in stages from May to July, and harvested successively from late June to mid-September. It is best to choose heat-resistant, fast-growing varieties that do not bolt easily, such as Huabo No. 1, Spring and Autumn Large Leaf, and Guangdong Round Leaf.

3. Sowing time for autumn spinach seeds: autumn spinach is generally sown in August-September, and can be harvested in batches 30-50 days after sowing. For varieties, it is best to choose early-maturing varieties that are relatively heat-tolerant and grow quickly, such as Plowshare Spinach, Huabo No. 1, Guangdong Round Leaf, and Spring and Autumn Large Leaf.

4. Sowing time for overwintering spinach seeds: overwintering spinach is usually sown from mid-October to early November, and harvested in batches around the Spring Festival. It is best to choose mid- and late-maturing varieties with strong winter hardiness, late bolting, and strong cold resistance, such as Round Leaf Spinach, Late Round-Leaf Spinach, Huabo No. 1, and Liaoning Round-Leaf Spinach.

3. How do you grow spinach?

1. Sun-drying the seeds

Spinach seeds can be placed in the sun to dry for 5-6 hours. During the drying process, the pathogens attached to the seed surface can be killed, which can reduce the occurrence of spinach diseases.

2. Soaking the seeds

While sun-drying the spinach seeds, you can prepare the seed-soaking solution. The seed-soaking solution is a mixture of hydrogen oxide and water, with a ratio of hydrogen oxide to water of 1:4. After preparing the seed-soaking solution, slowly pour the sun-dried spinach seeds into the solution, stirring while pouring, so that the spinach seeds are evenly coated with the seed-soaking solution, which helps the spinach seeds absorb the seed-soaking solution. The soaking time is related to temperature. Generally, when the temperature is below 20 degrees, the soaking time should be about 2 hours. When the temperature during soaking is between 20-30 degrees, the soaking time can be appropriately reduced by half an hour, that is, one and a half hours.

3. Key points for sprouting

After taking the spinach seeds out of the seed-soaking solution, they cannot be sprouted immediately. Instead, the seeds should be rinsed several times in clean water. After washing off the solution attached to the seed surface, place them in moist gauze for sprouting. The sprouting temperature should not be too high. The optimal temperature for sprouting is 15-20 degrees, and they should be placed in a ventilated and moist place for sprouting. To make the spinach seeds sprout faster, spray water on the spinach seeds in the morning and evening. Generally, after 3-5 days, the spinach seeds will successively show white tips.

4. Planting method

After the spinach seeds show white tips, planting should begin immediately. The optimal growth temperature for spinach seeds is 15-20 degrees. When the temperature rises, the germination rate of the seeds will also decrease. In order to avoid scalding the spinach sprouts, before planting spinach, be sure to water the bottom soil thoroughly. Before the spinach emerges, it can also be covered with straw, wheat straw, and other mulch, which reduces soil moisture evaporation while preventing direct sunlight from raising the soil temperature. When more than half of the spinach has emerged, the mulch can be removed.

Overall, spinach seeds can be planted throughout the year. Before planting, the seeds can first be soaked to promote sprouting. After white tips grow, sow them into the soil, and after seedlings grow, transplant them into the field.