Spinach
Amaranthaceae · Direct sow · compact garden planning guide
| Bed spacing | 6 × 6 in (152.4 × 152.4 mm) |
|---|---|
| Minimum sun used | 4 hours per day |
| Root depth used | 180 mm (7.1 in) |
| Container volume used | 5 L |
| Spring preparation | -35 to -21 days from your last frost |
| Maturity estimate | 40–55 days from sowing |
Square bed spacing, root-space thresholds, relative spring offsets and seed quantities are selected planning parameters, not universal cultivar rules. Maturity ranges are planning estimates; follow your packet or nursery label.
Before planting
Sow in cool, workable soil; hot days and long daylight can cause bolting.
Establish
Keep the seedbed evenly moist and protect newly emerging leaves.
Tend and harvest
Look for a developing flower stalk; use leaves early if heat is approaching. Take outer leaves at usable size; replace the crop once it bolts.
Plans using this crop
4×8 beginner greens
Three leafy crops with different heat tolerances and harvest habits.
4×8 four-hour leafy plan
Cool-season leafy crops for a place with only four hours of direct sun.
Four-hour balcony greens
Three cool-season pots that avoid fruiting crops at low light.
Fall greens from first frost
Fall sowing windows calculated backward from your first frost date.
References
- UMD Extension: Growing spinach
Cool-season spinach and final thinning distance. Six-inch cells are our selected intensive-bed method.
- UMD Extension: Growing vegetables in containers and salad tables
Sun exposure, drainage, growing media and crop-specific minimum volumes; our thresholds are conservative planning settings.
- UMN Extension: Planting the vegetable garden
Cool and warm season establishment; weather and soil readiness matter. Minnesota month dates are not used as global dates.
- UMN Extension: Planting for fall harvest
Maturity is a cultivar-dependent estimate; our extra 14-day fall buffer is an explicit planning assumption.
Updated 2026-10-04. We have not field-tested the plan in your climate.