What it is
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is in the Amaranthaceae (Amaranth) family. A cold-loving green that's all but impossible in Texas summer — sow it in fall and winter instead.
How to grow it
It wants full sun to part shade, water it even, and give it rich, well-drained soil. Target a soil pH around 6.5–7.5. Space plants about 3–4 in apart. Expect roughly 37–50. Cool-season.
How it's used
Spinach is used: raw, sautéed, soups.
🔎 How to identify it
- Smooth or savoyed dark leaves
- Low rosette
- Quick to flower in heat
Edibility
PartsLeaves
UsesRaw, sautéed, soups
CautionBolts fast in heat/long days.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.
Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.