Vegetables/Easy
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Spinach is a cool-season crop that bolts to seed the moment summer heat hits. Sow it in early spring and again in late summer for autumn crops — skip the June–July window unless you have deep afternoon shade.
Pick as a cut-and-come-again crop from baby-leaf stage: snip outer leaves and leave the growing centre alone, and each plant will give three or four harvests over 8–10 weeks.
Year at a glance
Common problems
Sudden flower stalk in early summer
Bolting — heat and long days. Move sowings to spring and autumn, choose slow-bolt varieties.
Yellow blotches with grey fuzz underneath
Downy mildew. Improve airflow, rotate crops, and choose resistant varieties.
Pale, small leaves
Under-fed or too dry. Water evenly and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser.
Questions, answered
Why does spinach bolt so fast?+
It's a long-day plant that reads increasing daylight and heat as a signal to reproduce. Sow in spring and autumn, or grow bolt-resistant varieties like 'Missouri'.
Can I grow spinach in shade?+
Yes — light shade in summer actually helps prevent bolting. It still needs 3–4 hours of light a day.
Is baby-leaf spinach the same plant?+
Same species, sown more densely and picked at 6–8 cm tall — usually as a cut-and-come-again crop.