How to grow spinach

Spinach grows fast in cool weather and goes to seed as days get long and warm. Sow it early in spring or in late summer for a fall crop.

Reviewed October 2026

Sow outside

4–6 weeks before last spring frost

Fall sowing

6–8 weeks before first fall frost

Seed depth

1/2 in

Days to harvest

40–60

When to plant

Spinach is one of the earliest crops you can sow: it sprouts in cool soil and handles light frosts. Sow seed directly in the garden about 4 to 6 weeks before your average last spring frost. For a fall crop, sow again about 6 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost, once the late-summer heat breaks. The planting planner shows your frost dates.

Sowing and spacing

Sow seed about 1/2 inch deep, in rows about a foot apart. Thin seedlings to 2 to 6 inches apart: closer for baby leaves, wider for full-size plants. Spinach doesn't transplant well, so sow it where it will grow.

Avoiding bolting

Long days and warm weather make spinach send up a flower stalk ("bolt"), and the leaves turn bitter. To avoid it, sow early, pick often, and grow fall crops, which mature as the days get shorter. In mild areas, fall-sown spinach can keep going through winter under a row cover.

Harvesting

Start picking the outer leaves once plants have five or six full-size leaves, or cut the whole plant at the base. Most varieties are ready about 40 to 60 days after sowing.

Planting dates in Florida