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How to grow spinach

Frost-hardy · Beet and spinach family

When to sow and plant

  • Start indoors 8–29 March
  • Sow outdoors 29 March – 5 April
  • Sow (autumn) 1 August – 30 September

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Sow outdoors: 2–3 weeks before the last frost (USU Extension: Spinach in the Garden)
  • Start indoors: 3–6 weeks before the last frost (Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Spinach)
  • Sow (autumn): August to September (fixed months from a German source, not tied to frost) (LWG Bayerische Gartenakademie: Infoschrift 2102 Gemüsearten zur Nachkultur)

Good and bad neighbours

Good neighbours · 1

  • SweetcornExpert rule· C

    Early spinach uses the gaps while the corn is small – it must be gone by mid-June or the corn suffers.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Sweetcorn

Crop rotation

After the beet and spinach family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years).

  • The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2030.

At a glance

Family
Beet and spinach family (Amaranthaceae)
Nutrient needs
Light feeder
Frost
Hardy, tolerates frost
Spacing (row × plant)
20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 in)
Plants per m²
50
Per square foot (30 × 30 cm)
9 plants
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 50–60 days from sowing

Spacing according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018). Other sources: 20 × 15 cm (8 × 6 in) (RHS Grow your own: Spinach); 30 × 8 cm (12 × 3 in) (USU Extension: Spinach in the Garden).

Questions and answers

When can I sow spinach?

Sow outdoors, average for Germany: 29 March – 5 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant spinach?

20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 in) (row × plant), according to Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018).

What grows well next to spinach?

Sweetcorn: Good neighbour (C).

How long a break do spinach need in the same bed?

After the beet and spinach family, leave the bed free of it for at least 3 years (sources: 3–4 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

More from the beet and spinach family

Sources

Show 12 sources
  1. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  2. UMD Extension: Vegetables for Spring and Fall Planting
  3. RHS Grow your own: Spinach
  4. Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Sä- und Pflanztermine auf einen Blick (2018)
  5. USU Extension: Spinach in the Garden
  6. UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Tulare-Kings: How to Square Foot Garden
  7. Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Spinach
  8. LWG Bayerische Gartenakademie: Infoschrift 2102 Gemüsearten zur Nachkultur
  9. NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16, Table 16–4
  10. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  11. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  12. Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Merkblatt 2104 Mischkulturen im Gemüsegarten (Mai 2020)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.