Sowing out winter spinach in September
Vegetables can also be sown in autumn, so that you can harvest your vitamin-providers in spring. Spinach is an ideal catch crop; it thrives best when the days become shorter and the nights longer.
Seeds are sown at a depth of 1-2 cm. A distance of 20 cm should be maintained between the rows. This permits frequent hacking between the spinach plants as well as easy removal of weeds. If the space between the plants becomes too narrow, individual spinach plants should be thinned out. Always ensure that the soil is damp. Otherwise, spinach has no special requirements.
The most frequent disease in spinach is downy mildew. This fungal infection occurs in particular during extended periods of damp weather, and reveals itself in the form of a thin, mould-like layer on the underside of the leaves.
Spinach can also be subject to leaf mould, which causes brownish spots with lighter-coloured centres to appear on the leaves. The vegetables then look unappetising, but eating them is not dangerous.
Autumn seedlings should be protected against nightly frosts. A fleece can be used to cover them.
“Matador” and “Universal” are suitable varieties for sowing in autumn.
Image: © L.Bouvier - Fotolia