How to Grow Baby Spinach

Reviewed by Ben Barkan

Last Updated: December 10, 2023

Baby spinach is tasty, tender, and high in nutrients. It's also easy to grow, both indoors and outdoors. Spinach plants can grow and thrive in a wide range of climates. Spinach grows quickly, and baby spinach leaves can be ready to harvest in around 40 days. To have the most success, plant spinach seeds in nitrogen-rich soil and keep the temperature lower than 80 °F (27 °C). Thin out weaker spinach seedlings to give healthy plants plenty of room to grow, and harvest as soon as you see rosettes of 5-6 leaves.

Things You Should Know

You can grow spinach outdoors in your garden, or indoors in pots so long as they’re at least 1 ft (30 cm) deep.
Spinach prefers nitrogen-rich soil, but you can use traditional potting mix so long as you provide nutrients periodically with fertilizer or compost .
Spinach prefers cooler temperatures around 50–75 °F (10–24 °C). and they’ll thrive best in partial or indirect light.
Seeds should be planted roughly ¹ ⁄ ₂ in (1.3 cm) below the topsoil, and you’ll need to pull the weakest seedlings after they sprout to give the stronger plants space to thrive.
You can harvest spinach after 40-60 days of growth whenever they develop a full rosette of 5-6 leaves, but leave 1-2 leaves if you want the plant to regrow.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Growing Spinach Indoors

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1
Find spinach seeds at your local gardening store. There are lots of different kinds of spinach. Some specific types of seeds that are good for baby spinach are Catalina, Renegade, or Bloomsdale. Packets of seeds will come with instructions that can help you grow your spinach specific to the kind of spinach you buy. You can also buy baby spinach seeds online. ^{[1]
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- Although you can harvest seeds from a spinach plant, it is easier to use commercial seeds. These are tested to provide the most consistent results.
2
Fill a pot at least 1 foot (30 cm) deep with nitrogen-rich soil. Spinach roots need at least 1 foot (30 cm) of space to grow. Fill the pot loosely with moist, nitrogen-rich soil. Choose an indoor potting mix from a gardening center. ^{[2]
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- You can also add nitrogen into soil using fertilizer or compost.
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3
Plant seeds around ¹ ⁄ ₂ inch (1.3 cm) deep in the soil. Make a small hole in the soil with your finger. Drop 3 spinach seeds in. Plant several groupings of seeds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart from each other. ^{[3]
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- Spinach seeds don't need to be planted very deep in the soil. Covering the seeds with as little as ¹ ⁄ ₄ inch (0.64 cm) of soil will do.
4
Keep your spinach at around 50 to 75 °F (10 to 24 °C) and in partial sun. Spinach prefers cooler climates. Find a spot in your home where the temperature remains within this range at night and during the day. Make sure your spinach gets at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. ^{[4]
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- If the temperature consistently reaches above 80 °F (27 °C) around your spinach, new seeds won't sprout and seedlings will start to wilt and won't produce new leaves.
- Alternatively, you can use growing lamps if your spinach can't get 6 hours of sun a day inside your home.
5
Water the seeds when you plant them and keep the soil moist. After you plant the seeds, water the soil enough so that it is moist all the way through. Water it so that it stays moist while the seeds are germinating and after they sprout. ^{[5]
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- To see if your spinach plants need to be watered, stick a finger into the soil around one knuckle deep. If the soil feels dry, it needs to be watered.
6
Pull out the weakest seedlings after 10–14 days. Once the seedlings start to come up, some will naturally grow in faster and more healthy. The strongest seedlings will have 2 leaves after 2 weeks. Pull out the weaker seedlings so that you are left with the strongest ones.
- Ideally, there should be around 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) between the seedlings. If there isn't enough space, the seedlings will need to be transplanted.
7
Transplant seedlings to their own pots once they have 4 leaves. To transplant a seedling, fill a new pot loosely with the potting mix. Make a hole in the soil. Gently pull the seedling out of the soil so that its roots stay intact. Place it into the new pot and cover the roots with soil. Water the seedling so that the soil is moist all the way through.
- In a 12-inch (30 cm) pot, you can grow 1-2 spinach plants to full size. Spinach plants need 6 inches (15 cm) of space between each other to grow to full size.
8
Harvest 1/3 of the spinach leaves after 40 days from the original planting. Around a month after the seedlings come up, the spinach plants will be close to fully grown and able to be harvested. To encourage the growth of new leaves, harvest 1/3 of the leaves and take them from the outside of the plant. ^{[6]
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- Never harvest more than 1/2 of the leaves at a time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Planting Spinach in an Outdoor Garden

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1
Start planting spinach in early spring. Start planting spinach as soon as the soil thaws out enough to be workable. You can also sow seeds every 10 days if you live in a place with long, cool springs to have a staggered harvest throughout the summer and into the fall. ^{[7]
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- The earlier you can plant spinach, the better your harvest will be in the summer and fall.
- Spinach can grow in a wide range of climates, but you may have to change what season you plant it in depending on the average temperatures. USDA hardiness zones 1-10 are ideal for spinach. Check what zone you live in at https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
2
Grow spinach in a raised 1 foot (30 cm) planter or directly in the ground. Loose dirt at least 1 foot (30 cm) deep creates the ideal environment for spinach to grow in. Work the soil in your planter so that it is loose and aerated. If you are planting the seeds directly in the ground, make sure the soil is loosened at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep. ^{[8]
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- Use a nitrogen-rich soil from a gardening center, or add fertilizer or compost to boost nitrogen content.
3
Place spinach in partial sun. Spinach needs to receive around 6 hours of sunlight every day to thrive. Pick a spot in your garden where your spinach plants will get mostly sun, and some shade, throughout the day. ^{[9]
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- A placement in full sun works well if you are planting spinach in cool climates.
- If you anticipate that the temperature will regularly be higher than 80 °F (27 °C), a placement with more shade can keep your spinach cooler and happier.
- Water spinach plants up to twice a day on hot days to cool down the roots.
Drop the seeds into the soil in groups of 2-3, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Cover the seeds with around ¹ ⁄ ₄ to ¹ ⁄ ₂ inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) of soil. ^{[10]
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Thin the plants once they start to come in. Once the plants come up, some of them will be naturally hardier than others. Thin them out by removing the weaker seedlings. The hardier seedlings will have at least 2 leaves after 10-14 days. Weaker seedlings won't grow leaves, and may start to wilt and die on their own. ^{[11]
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- Leave 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) between the stronger seedlings.
6
Harvest your spinach after 40 days or so. Wait until your spinach plant has a rosette of 5-6 leaves. To harvest, either cut the leaves off from the stem, or cut off the entire rosette. The plant will not regrow if you cut off all the leaves, so re-sow seeds every 10 days or so to have a continuous harvest. ^{[12]
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- Be gentle when harvesting baby spinach leaves. They are very tender and can easily bruise.