Show Spinach Grows Well Anywhere If Soil Requirements Are Met Spinach is a standby of gardens gardens gardens gar gar- dens all over the nation because it is a fine early crop in the north and a winter crop in the south The following article gives authoritative instructions for spinach cultivation It is the sixth of 12 articles by NEA Service and The Salt Lake Telegram Telegram Telegram Tele Tele- gram in cooperation with the United States department of agriculture By N E A SERVICE In the northern half of the country spinach is among the first crops that can be planted In the home garden in spring In fact it may be planted as soon Eoon as the ground can be worked and a good seedbed pre pre- pared The crop is one of the richest garden sources of vitamins A and C and is very high in the mineral iron In addition two vitamins of the B group thiamin thiamin thiamin thia- thia min and riboflavin are both found In spinach in goodly amounts so it ranks with col- col dards kale turnip greens and beet greens as one of the best all around all around vitamin and mineral bearing vegetables Spinach Requires r Sweet Soil Spinach has three important soil requirements The soil must be fertile ferUle well drained and sweet plenty of limestone If these three requirements are met spinach will generally grow well on any type of soil where suffIcIent moisture is available In the far south spinach is grown principally as a winter crop for it doesn't do well when the days are too hot but farther north where severe winter weather kills it out must be grown in spring and fall Thin Out Spinach Spi Spinach is usually planted in rows eight to 12 inches apart with about 12 to 15 seeds sown per foot of row rowl After the plants come through the ground they ars usually thinned so that there will be about two inches of space between plants for devel devel- A bed five feet wide and 30 feet long with about seven or eight rows running the length of the bed will furnish enough spinach for the average sized family Spinach seed is generally planted in inch-deep inch furrows and covered with fine dirt not more more than half an inch deep Because spinach requires a rich soil about a pound of well rotted manure per square foot and three to four pounds of commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial fertilizer per square feet should be applied broadcast and raked into the soil before the spinach is sown For Northern Gardeners Gardeners in the north usually make two or three successive plantings of spinach at in intervals intervals intervals in- in of about a week but butI plantings made after the first of I June probably will not thrive in summer heat During late summer plantings may be made again and continued continued continued con con- until about six weeks beI be be- I It J 0 I IA fore the usual date of the first killing frost In the south on the other hand spinach plantings plantings plant plant- ings are generally made from early fall to late spring and discontinued discontinued discontinued dis dis- dis- dis continued as in the north during during during dur dur- ing the hot midsummer months Long Standing Bloomsdale is the recommended spinach varIety variety variety vari varI- ety for most soil and climate conditions About 2 1 to 1 ounce of seed will plant enough spinach spinach spin spin- ach to supply the entire family When the weather becomes too warm for continued spinach plantings many gardeners spade under the residue prepare a afresh afresh afresh fresh seedbed and plant a few rows of beans |