Planting Tips: Spinach can be direct seeded in your garden just as early as you can work the soil in spring. Plant the seeds carefully about six inches apart and about 1/2″ deep. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Spinach loves cool weather and will grow best in early spring or late summer plantings.

Harvesting Tips: You can begin picking baby leaves when they’re about the size of a soup spoon, but only harvest one or two per plant to keep the plants growing nicely. Once the plants are large enough for table use or for canning, you can harvest the entire plant. Spinach is a very hardy crop — I’ve even had mine overwinter under the snow, high in the mountains of Montana!

Seed Saving Tips: To save seed, simply allow a plant or two to mature. The plants will bolt and send up seed stalks, and soon dry seeds will form. Carefully snip off the stalks and place the seed heads into a paper bag. Once they’re completely dry, shake the bag and stalks around to release the seeds. Store the dried seed in an airtight container to plant again next year.