Abstract

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a popular leafy green vegetable often grown in the spring or fall months in the Midwest. Known for its nutritional characteristics, spinach is a high-value crop for growers. With an optimum growing temperature of 50˚F to 60˚F, spinach is known to bolt, or go to seed, in warmer weather. When this occurs, the leaf area is reduced and the spinach becomes unmarketable. Because of its sensitivity to heat, spinach often is more successfully grown in the fall under protection and harvested throughout the early winter months. Specific cultivars have been developed to tolerate higher temperatures of spring planting with delayed bolting, allowing growers to harvest spinach into early summer and increase the length of marketability and sales. The objective of this study was to identify spinach cultivars best adapted to direct seeding for spring growth under Upper Midwest growing conditions.

How to Cite:

Carey, A. & Nair, A., (2022) “Appropriate Spinach Cultivars for Spring Planting”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports 2021(1), 25–27.