May harvest of Spinach and rhubarb. Spinach planted in March.

On this day of writing , St Patrick’s Day 2024, the temperature is forecast to reach 17degrees C. Bizarre, but nothing is surprising in this age of climate change. It apparently will snow again next weekend. Nevertheless temperatures will continue with a warming trend until we reach the blistering heat of summer. I noticed my rhubarb is showing its first red crowns so it is time to put the pots over the top. I will be eating tender rhubarb in a few weeks.

Most of us gardeners are out there doing spring things and one of those things could be planting spinach.

The two earliest edible crops from the garden in zone three unless you left your parsnips in the ground are spinach and rhubarb.

If you planted spinach in the fall it is probably about to show its face if it hasn’t yet. If you didn’t plant in the fall, now is the time, as soon as a spot in the vegetable garden or elsewhere can be worked, to sow some seed. It could be sown in a pot and so long as it is kept damp, it will germinate in no time.

Spinach is a cold weather crop and once the heat rolls around it does not do well and will bolt i.e. go to seed. Gone will be those lovely tender leaves full of nutritious iron and other good vitamins.  The leaves will become bitter and the plant will stretch and use its food supply to produce flower and seed. If you miss this first few weeks of cooler growing weather, late summer is another time to try. Spinach can also be planted at the same time garlic goes in the ground in October. It will be the first crop to emerge in spring.

 Most plants have preference for different temperatures, hence the use of zones. It is the same with vegetables which we treat mostly as annuals. Peas are another cold weather crop. The best peas I ever had were those grown around Anchorage Alaska. 10lbs of fresh shelled peas purchased at the Anchorage Farmers Market packed into our motor home’s tiny freezer, gradually depleted on our long trip home. All the Brassicas prefer cooler temperatures but for a speedy crop in the cooler weather, you cannot beat Spinach.

There are a multitude of internet sites which will explain the nutritional value of spinach but safe to say it packs a valuable nutritional punch for anyone . The following chart is from Healthline and compares kale to spinach, both cool weather crops, both high in daily nutritional requirements but spinach is the fastest to reach harvest.

Here’s how kale and spinach stack up against one another (3Trusted Source):

Spinach and kale offer a similar amount of several nutrients, but there are some differences as well.

For instance, kale contains more than twice the amount of vitamin C, while spinach provides more vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate.

Still, though spinach and kale have different concentrations of certain nutrients, they’re both highly nutritious vegetable choices overall.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kale-vs-spinach#differences

For a quick and easy nutritious dinner, I love steamed spinach on toast with a poached egg and a little cheese sauce over the top.

Happy Spring Gardening!