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How to Harvest Spinach Without Killing the Plant

Spinach is a leafy vegetable that can be consumed either raw or cooked. At home, we eat a lot of spinach because it is rich in vitamin C and has a lot of iron. In this article, we will explain how to harvest spinach without killing the plant.

Growing spinach is very easy, and one advantage is that spinach grows fast. If you harvest spinach as we will show you, you should be able to have a long spinach harvest until the plant starts to flower.

Spinach is a cold hardy crop and should be planted in early spring or late summer. The Bloomsdale variety of spinach is colder hardy and is also resistant to downy mildew.

When to Harvest Spinach

When to Harvest Spinach? You should harvest spinach at any time during the growth of the plant. Spinach should be harvested as soon as they are growing as microgreens, but harvesting at that stage will not allow the plant to grow sufficiently.

The ideal way to harvest spinach without killing the plant is to wait 45 to 60 days after planting. The spinach plant should be at least 6” (15 cm) tall and its leaves should be 2” to 3” (5 to 7.5 cm) long.

Spinach should never be harvested after watering or rainfall, as the leaves become turgid and are more susceptible to breakage.

Spinach should be harvested before the plant begins to flower because otherwise all the plant’s energy will go to the flowers and the leaves will be tough and bitter. Normally, spinach will begin to flower when temperatures are above 75 °F (24 °C).

when to harvest spinach
When to Harvest Spinach? Spinach should be harvested at any time, but if you want it to have large leaves for harvesting, you should wait 45 to 60 days for it to mature.

How to Harvest Spinach Without Killing the Plant

How to Harvest Spinach Without Killing the Plant? To harvest spinach without killing the plant, you should wait until the spinach plant is at least 6” (15 cm) tall and its leaves are 2” to 3” (5 to 7.5 cm) long.

You should never water the spinach plant before harvesting it, its leaves could be damaged during harvesting if they have too much water. To harvest spinach without killing the plant, always use sharp, disinfected scissors or knives. It is very important to use tools with a good sharp edge so as not to damage the plant and allow it to continue growing.

The first spinach crop never harvests more than 1/3 of the plant, or you may kill it completely and not harvest anymore. Once the spinach plant recovers from the first harvest, you should harvest up to 2/3 of the plant.

You should also harvest all the leaves by cutting 2″ (5 cm) above the crown and the spinach plant will recover, but the process will be slower than if you harvest the leaves in batches.

Always harvest the outer leaves of the spinach plant, which are the ripest. After harvesting spinach, always water the plant so that it can recover quickly.

It is very important to harvest spinach early in the morning or in the afternoon away from the hot hours so that the plant does not suffer so much when harvesting spinach.

By following all these tips, you will be able to harvest spinach without killing the plant and have a long-lasting harvest.

how to harvest spinach without killing the plant
How to Harvest Spinach Without Killing the Plant? To harvest spinach without killing the plant, always harvest with scissors or sharp knives, this way you will not damage the plant when harvesting.

How to Store Spinach

How to Store Spinach? If not well-preserved, spinach leaves tend to turn dark or rot quickly. The problem is that moisture quickly damages spinach leaves, but we will explain how to store spinach correctly.

After harvesting spinach, select the best leaves for consumption, and any leaves you see yellowing or eaten by insects, use them in the compost bin. Now wash the leaves well to clean the dust and any insects left on the spinach leaves.

Then dry the spinach leaves with a salad spinner or a towel, the important thing is to remove excess moisture from the leaves.

Place in an airtight container a cloth napkin on the bottom and then place the spinach leaves you selected. With this method, you should be able to keep the spinach leaves in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Another good way to store spinach is to store it in the freezer, if you have a lot of spinach to harvest at the same time it is best to freeze it. Rinse spinach and then place in boiling water for two minutes. Remove spinach from boiling water and rinse with cold water. Then dry the spinach leaves with a salad spinner or towel. Finally, place the spinach leaves in a freezer bag.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Now you know how to harvest spinach without killing the plant, but some readers contacted us through the contact form and left us some questions about spinach harvesting.

Will Spinach Grow Back After Cutting?

Of course, spinach will grow back after cutting, just be sure not to harvest more than 1/3 of the spinach plant on the first harvest. It is best to harvest spinach leaf by leaf so that it grows back after cutting.

How Many Times Can Spinach Be Harvested?

You should be able to harvest spinach several times before the spinach begins to flower. Remember that spinach is an annual crop and ends when it begins to flower.

You will notice that the spinach plant begins to grow in height and the flowers will appear, at which time the leaves will be somewhat tough and bitter.

If you are interested in learning more about how to harvest without killing the plant, we recommend the following articles:

How to Harvest Dill Without Killing the Plant

How to Harvest Parsley Without Killing the Plant

how to store spinach
How to Store Spinach? Spinach should be stored in different ways, you should freeze it, store it in the refrigerator or simply dehydrate the spinach.

About Henry Morgan

Henry Morgan is an agronomist horticulture founder of The Garden Style Company and The Garden Style Website. He previously worked for Mondelēz International as an Agronomist Engineer specializing in agricultural products management in highly populated areas. In 2000, Henry started working with farmer-producers in agricultural businesses selling wholesale fresh produce and retail plants in Van Buren, Arkansas. Nowadays, Henry lives in California, where he offers expert consulting services for organic vegetable gardening. As a science writer working with his wife, Julia, Henry shares his passion for gardening and farming, trying to reach and teach as many folks as possible.

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