Description
BLOOMSDALE SPINACH (var. Long Standing) goes back to the mid-18th Century variety developed by D Landreth & Co, named after their farm in Bristol Pennsylvania. This is an early, dark green, spinach with crumpled leaves than can be sown spring or fall, since it prefers cool soil for germination. Once established, it is slower to bolt in hot weather than many varieities so if you live in a changeable climate like mine, this one's for you. Richly flavored. High in vitamins A, C and B-complex. My absolute favorite spinach for ease of growing and fabulous flavor. 48 days. 100 seeds.
GROWING SPINACH -- Ya gotta eat your spinach, baby! But who wants to buy it in the stores anymore? E-Coli outbreaks have made growing your own spinach almost a necessity. And what could be better than fresh, baby spinach salad? Commercially grown spinach (non-organic) has almost 50 different pesticides on it! The good news is, although spinach requires a cool growing season, it can be sucessfully grown in pots, and with the new kitchen counter growers popping up on the market, you can have fresh baby spinach at your fingertips all year round. Spinach is a heavy feeder that likes well-prepared rich sweet soil. They require nitrogen, so pick an appropriate organic fertilizer, like fish emulsion. Cool wet spring weather alternating with days of sunshine is the absolute best for spinach. If you can provide that, you can start harvesting your spinach early, using tiny scissors to cut off the larger leaves and letting the rest grow bigger until the plant is spent. Keep spinach well-weeded because weeds invite pests like leaf miners. Start some pots indoors in late summer in the cool of your house and put out for a second fall crop. Depending on your growing season, you may be able to direct sow in fall and enjoy well into the winter. Cover with straw and you might get a super early spring crop of the delectable greens!