Organic Spinach: Giant Winter.

Description

Organic Spinach: Giant Winter. Spinacia oleracea.

A winter hardy large leaf variety, prefers cool conditions to grow.

How to grow:

Field production:

Sow seeds in drills in Feb and March successionally, matures in about 8 weeks. Take a break over summer. Start sowing again August, Sept and October for harvest Sept to December.

Under cover production:

Sow October and November for harvest Feb, March and April.
Sow in shallow drills 2cms deep with rows 30cms apart. Soil should be rich and hold moisture to stop bolting. Thin as required to 15cms apart. Harvest leaves as the plant matures or the whole plant before going to seed.

Problem solving:

Keep slugs off when young. Keep ventilated, especially under cover watering from below. Take out lower dead leaves if necessary. Pigeons love spinach to enviromesh, or a fake/kite bird of prey can help.

Favourite ways to eat them:

Young leaves often used in salad. Raw leaves contain high levels of oxalates so its best not to eat too many raw, pre-steaming leaves improves the situation. Bigger leaves are great in many dishes, from stews to risotto to lasagne to pasta. Often in Indian dishes. Spinach in cooked dishes has an alkalising effect on your body, which is good for you.

Cultural history:

Native to central and western Asia.

Approx. 80 seeds per gram.