If you want to be strong like Popeye, you should grow spinach in your garden. it is not overly difficult to grow. Fertile soil that is not too heavy and offers a PH between 6 and 7 is ideal for successfully growing it. it grows well in full sunlight. If you live in a climate where the days get overly warm, however, you will want to plant it in an area where it will receive some shade. it does not grow well if it is exposed on a regular basis to temperatures at that go beyond 75 degrees.

You can prepare the soil before planting it by adding organic compost or an organic fertilizer in the soil. You can begin planting it about 1 to 2 months before the last expected frost. There should be about 2 inches distance between each seed which should be planted ½ inch down in the soil. Do not place too much soil on top of the seeds.

Seeds typically take a week or two until they germinate. You will give the spinach plants more space to expand after they have grown at least 4 inches. At that time you should thin out the garden so that there is no less than six inches between plants.

Most of all it needs healthy, moist soil. This is one of those plants that thrive with Nitrogen in the soil. You never want to saturate the plants with water. Like many plants in your garden, they need about an inch of water per week. When you are using fertilizer, you should use options that are Nitrogen rich.

It will generally take between 4 and 6 weeks before it is ready to harvest. There are two options for harvesting. You can cut leaves to enjoy for use as soon as they have grown enough to eat. The other option is to wait until the plant is flowering and has finished growing. If you use this option, you can then harvest the entire plant at once.

Keep in mind that you will want to harvest your crop before the days start to get too hot. This does not give you a large window for growing spinach. However, you can decide to plant it again towards the end of the summer once the days start to get a little cooler again. This makes it possible for you to have some spinach to enjoy during the summer.

For more great free tips on growing vegetables then why not visit the authors site on Growing Your Own Vegetables, for more great free tips on Growing Vegetables.

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