Skip to main content
Spinach growing

Photo: Unsplash

Hardy — can tolerate frost

When to plant
spinach in the UK

Bolts the moment it gets hot. Best in spring and autumn. Pick little and often — a whole plant cooks down to about two mouthfuls.

7wto harvest
15cmspacing
5°Cmin soil temp
hardyhardiness

Growing journey

Last frost
Direct sow6w before frost
Harvest1w after frost

7 weeks from sowing to harvest

Get spinach seeds

Links may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What spinach need

Partial shade. Moist, rich soil.

Spacing

15cm

15cm between plants · 20cm between rows

Space evenly in rows. Thin seedlings early to avoid crowding.

Varieties

Varieties to try

Giant Winter

Hardy enough for autumn and winter

Perpetual Spinach

Actually a chard — but brilliant and long-lasting

Bloomsdale

Thick crinkly leaves, slow to bolt

Good companions

When to sow spinach

Direct sowMarch

Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.

Get reminders about spinach

We’ll send you what to sow each month, personalised to your frost date. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Seeds

Where to buy spinach seeds

Links may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Kit

What you'll need for spinach

The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.

Module trays (24-cell)Amazon

Each seedling gets its own root space. Less root disturbance when planting out means faster establishment.

More in our equipment guide →
Shade cloth (40%)Amazon

Like lettuce, spinach bolts fast in heat. Shade and moisture are the key to keeping leaves coming.

Links go to Amazon. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Get your exact dates

Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for spinach.

Keep exploring

Other crops to grow

Illustration of Broad beans
Broad beans

Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They

Illustration of Peas
Peas

Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Pick regularly to keep them producin

Illustration of Lettuce
Lettuce

Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick

Illustration of Radishes
Radishes

The quickest crop you can grow — seed to plate in 4 weeks. Sow between slower cr

Illustration of Carrots
Carrots

Sow thinly to avoid thinning — the smell of crushed leaves is a dinner bell for

Illustration of Beetroot
Beetroot

Each seed cluster produces several seedlings — thin to the strongest. Don't chuc

Onion sets

Push sets into the soil with the tip just showing. Easiest way to grow onions —

Potatoes (maincrop)

Plant a few weeks after earlies. Earth up as haulms grow. Harvest when foliage d

Potatoes (early)

Chit (sprout) seed potatoes on a windowsill before planting. Earth up as they gr

Illustration of Kale
Kale

Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

Parsnips

Very slow to germinate (2-4 weeks). Use fresh seed every year. Sow radishes alon

Spring onions

Sow a pinch every few weeks and you'll have spring onions all season. Dead easy

Swiss chard

Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb

Turnips

Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t

Leeks

Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The

Broccoli

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting i

Cabbage

Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.

Cauliflower

Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicio

Brussels sprouts

Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after

Garlic

Plant individual cloves Oct-Nov, pointed end up, 2.5cm deep. Garlic needs a cold

Parsley

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in war

Strawberries

Plant runners in spring or late summer and you will be picking fruit the followi

Raspberries

Plant bare-root canes in winter for the cheapest option. Summer varieties fruit

Blackberries

Cultivated blackberries produce bigger, sweeter fruit than wild ones and are tho

Gooseberries

One of the easiest fruit bushes for UK allotments. Plant a bare-root bush in win

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are packed with vitamin C and make the best jam and cordial. Plant

Redcurrants

Beautiful jewel-like berries that hang in trusses. They tolerate more shade than

Rhubarb

Plant a crown in winter, do not harvest the first year, and it will reward you w

Sweetcorn

Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each

Courgettes

You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into ma

French beans

Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing

Squash

Big hungry plants — give them space and feed them well. Leave to cure in the sun

Pumpkins

Limit each plant to 2-3 fruits for bigger pumpkins. Sit them on a tile or slate

Coriander

Bolts at the slightest excuse. Sow every 3-4 weeks, pick frequently, and choose

Rocket

Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a

Pak choi

Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in th

Fennel

Sow after midsummer for best bulbs — earlier sowings often bolt. Don't transplan

Celery

Sow seeds on the surface — they need light to germinate. Start early in a propag

Dill

Sow direct — dill absolutely hates being transplanted. Short rows every few week

Illustration of Tomatoes
Tomatoes

Pinch out side shoots on cordon types. Feed weekly with tomato feed once the fir

Peppers

Start early — they're slow growers. Pinch out the first flower to encourage bush

Chillies

Need heat to germinate — use a propagator or the warmest windowsill you've got.

Cucumbers

Outdoor varieties are tougher and easier than greenhouse ones. Keep picking and

Runner beans

Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go

Aubergine

Start very early — January isn't too soon. Limit to 5-6 fruits per plant if you

Basil

Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage b