So I am taking a chance and sowing some of the most cold hardy seeds directly into the garden on this day in late March, perhaps eight weeks from the official end of our usual frost period. Spinach normally likes to be planted at least 6 weeks before the end of frost, which puts that time around the second week of April. This year the ground is clear of snow on March 26th so I am giving it a go to try and get some greens. Spinach is so finicky in my garden, tending to bolt (send up a flower stalk) as soon as the hot weather starts. It is truly a cold weather crop.

I will plant successive seedings, every two weeks. So if for any reason this one fails, I will have a back up plan. It’s not recommended to plant spinach inside.

As for the actual process, I first clean and rake one of my garden bed and sometimes having added a fresh layer of compost in the fall. I then tie a string between two stakes and stake them on either end of the garden, to create a clean visible guide line. This helps me identify the seedlings versus weed seedlings in the early stages of development. I then plant the spinach seeds 1/2” deep, about 12 per foot.

I will update you on the progress as it happens. First we need a sunny day.