Article: Spinach: a great cool-weather crop. (The Beehive)(Brief Article)

When we grow spinach, we're dealing with a strictly cool-weather crop. As soon as long days and heat come, spinach refuses to produce. We've tried heavy mulches, drip irrigation and shady locations to extend its growing season into summer. Something in spinach's genetic make-up triggers the plant to send up a seed stalk as soon as those long, hot days arrive.

Oddly, spinach will germinate with ground temperatures as low as 35 [degrees] F, but will refuse with soil heat above 80 [degrees] F. This is quite the opposite of most vegetables. We've found it better to grow Malabar spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard for summer use.

We plant our spinach ...

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