Spinach is a vegetable annual plant that resembles quinoa in its beneficial properties. Due to its high content of vitamins, protein, fiber and other trace elements, it is widely used in cooking. Many gourmets prefer this dietary product. Fresh leaves can be eaten, preserved or boiled. Spinach is very popular in Western countries, it is used to prepare meals for children. Spinach puree is a source of physical recovery and has a healing effect on the body. Today, spinach is often consumed by many vegetarians and supporters of healthy eating in Russia.
Features of growth and development
Spinach belongs to the long day plant group. This means that it needs continuous and intense lighting for full development and flowering.
He can easily tolerate low temperatures. Seeds are able to germinate already at a temperature of 4 degrees. In hot climates, the plant enters the flowering phase. Overripe leaves already have an unpleasant taste.
Spinach has a high yield, which is achieved in a short period of time. 40 days after the appearance of the first shoots, you can get a batch of finished quality products.
Good yields are ensured when growing crops in fertile soil that has a slightly alkaline or neutral environment.
This plant needs constant soil moisture, but an excessive amount of water can be detrimental. When growing spinach at home, you need to observe certain parameters of indoor air humidity.
Preparing soil and dishes
A window sill is a great place to breed spinach in a room. Housewives do not have to spend a lot of time and effort to grow it.
In the summer and spring months, when planting seeds, you do not need to resort to an artificial light source, but in the autumn-winter period it is necessary to additionally turn on the lamps. The duration of daylight hours in the cold season should be at least 10 hours. On cloudy days, it is also required to turn on artificial light for the growth of young shoots.
As a container for sowing seeds, you can use plastic or wooden flowerpots 15-20 cm high. Seeds must be planted at some distance from each other. Shallow furrows are made in the prepared soil and watered with water.
Ready-made soil mixtures used for flower crops can act as a nutrient substrate. They do not contain peat, which oxidizes the soil. However, the best option would be to prepare the soil yourself. To do this, it is necessary to mix one part of vermicompost and two parts of coconut fiber, which prevents the soil from drying out and prevents water stagnation. It is necessary to pour a small layer of expanded clay into the container for planting, which will act as a kind of drainage. If there are difficulties with the acquisition of coconut fiber, then you can use only vermicompost.From time to time you need to add 1-2 teaspoons of perlite or vermiculite to it, which have the same properties as coconut fiber. These additives ensure the preservation of the potting mix and protect it from rotting.
Growing spinach from seeds
Before planting, the seeds must be soaked in water at room temperature for a day. Unlike lettuce, spinach seeds look slightly larger. The sowing depth is 10-15 mm. The prepared flowerpots are covered with plastic wrap on top so that the soil does not dry out. Within a week, the first green shoots appear.
Glazed balconies or loggias are considered ideal places for growing spinach. In such rooms, constant air humidity is maintained. If it is not possible to place a container with seedlings on the balcony, then a window sill can be used for these purposes. However, it should be remembered that spinach is a moisture-loving plant, and in winter the air in the apartment is extremely dry. Therefore, it is required to regularly spray young leaves from a spray bottle. Above the flowerpots, you can install a structure like a greenhouse, which will be a frame with stretched plastic wrap and will make it possible to maintain a constant microclimate in the room.
The spinach is harvested for 2-3 months, and then the plant undergoes morphological changes and goes into the shooting phase. With proper planting and harvesting, this green crop can be eaten all year round.
The soil used for growing spinach is reused, provided that it is regularly fed with complex additives. The plant is considered fully formed and ready to harvest when it reaches a height of 7-10 cm and has 5-7 leaves in the rosette.
