Share
Growing vegetables or fruits in your kitchen garden is an incredibly fulfilling experience. Instead of worrying about artificially grown, pesticides, or even coloured dyes, you can have the best harvest right in your backyard, terrace, or even in a container.
When it comes to picking the right fruits or vegetables to plant, while there are a lot of options to choose from, you should select the ones as per your climate, region, type of soil available, and the time you have to invest for caring.
One of the most common vegetables that is grown in an Indian kitchen garden is spinach. Also known as palak, spinach is not only a nutrient-dense green leafy vegetable, it also does not require for you to be a seasoned gardener. So, if you want to know how you can grow spinach in your home garden, here are some hacks.
Picking The Variety
Even though spinach comes in a lot of varieties, two major types are widely grown in India – desi palak and all green. Desi palak is a local variety which is known for its smaller leaves with a slightly stronger flavour. The other, all green has comparatively larger leaves which is usually used to make green salads and the famous palak paneer. So, if you have a larger area to grow spinach, go for All Green, and if you are planting in a pot or small container, desi palak would be a better choice.
Also Read: How To Grow Taro Root In Your Kitchen Garden
Prepping The Soil
Spinach requires well-drained soil which is rich in organic matter. So, before you plant the leaves, ensure that you add manure and well-balanced fertilisers, which can provide the vegetable with essential nutrients. Also, the ideal pH for growing spinach ranges from 6.5 to 7.0.
External Factors
The external factors like weather and the placement of the pot that gets ample sunlight are also important for the healthy growth of spinach. The ideal temperature for planting spinach is 30°C. You can either plant it in the monsoon season or during the onset of winter season. Having said that, it is also important to place the spinach pot in a spot which gets morning sunlight.
Watering
Spinach requires consistent moisture. But it is also important to note that if there occurs waterlogging, the plant can rot. So, water regularly but ensure that the soil is moist but not soggy, which also prevents any fungal infections.
Harvesting
Finally, after all the hard work, you will reach the phase to reap the results of what you sow. But you need to know the right time to harvest to get the best taste. Once the leaves are 4-6 inches long, which would take about 40-50 days post sowing, the spinach will be ready to be harvested. You can also store the spinach leaves in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for a week.
