1 | Appearance
With its deep green, crinkled or flat leaves and tender stems, spinach is a veggie that looks as good in the garden as it does on the plate. Cool temperatures deepen its color and sweeten its flavor, making fall the ideal season to grow it in Louisiana.
2 | Uses
Spinach is the rare green that is just as nutritious raw as it is cooked — toss it in salads, wilt it into pasta, blend it into smoothies, layer it into lasagna or sauté it with olive oil and garlic. As one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can grow, spinach is packed with iron, folate, vitamins A, C and K, and antioxidants. It turns out Popeye was onto something.
3 | Grow
According to the LSU AgCenter, September is when to start your spinach — along with other leafy crops. If you can’t plant in September, don’t fret. There is a two-month window for getting spinach in the ground. It prefers well-drained soil, full sun to partial shade and consistent moisture — let it dry out and it will make its displeasure known. A light application of nitrogen fertilizer after thinning will keep leaves lush and productive.
4 | Learn
Spinach is a cool-season crop that improves with a light frost, which converts some of its starches to sugar and mellows any bitterness.
