If you’ve stumbled upon this guide on how to grow spinach in a pot, you probably understand that growing your own spinach isn’t a want… it’s a need. After all, there’s nothing worse than buying a bag of spinach from the supermarket and watching helplessly as it wilts and sweats before you have a chance to finish it.
But thankfully, spinach is one of the best vegetables to grow in pots, meaning you can have an endless supply in no time. No matter whether you have a large garden or you want to grow vegetables on a balcony or windowsill, you can never go wrong with using pots to grow your produce at home. And when it comes to spinach, you can enjoy all-round yields if you sow these seeds little and often.
This compact, cut-and-come-again crop could give you fresh leaves for your salad or something extra for your veggie curry in just a few weeks. Don’t worry, though. You don’t have to be a gardening expert to successfully grow spinach in a pot. All you need to do is follow this simple step-by-step guide.
How to grow spinach in a pot
Just as you can grow garlic in a pot, you can also grow spinach in a pot. 'Spinach grows well in pots and is handy to have in the garden for easy greens at mealtimes.' says gardening expert Sally Allsop from All That Grows.
But the best bit? You don’t even need to keep these pots outside if you don’t have the space. Here’s how to do it.
What you need
- Spinach seeds - like these Thompson & Morgan Perpetual Spinach Seeds from Amazon
- Container with drainage holes - like these KINGLAKE growing pots with drainage holes (12 pack) from Amazon
- Potting mix - like this Miracle-Gro All Purpose Compost from Amazon
- Watering can - like this Ward Enterprises watering can from Amazon
Step-by-step guide
1. Choose your spinach seeds
There are so many amazing spinach varieties out there, so how do you know which spinach seeds to buy? 'Choose a variety that will work well in a pot, one that can be grown as a baby leaf, and you’ll have more success,' says Sally from All That Grows.
Baby leaf spinach varieties are perfect for those who are planning on growing spinach in pots on their balcony or windowsill. If you have a garden and want to grow larger spinach plants, though, you could opt for varieties such as Melody or Perpetual spinach.
2. Sow your spinach seeds
When sowing your spinach seeds, the pots you choose are very important. As well as choosing pots with drainage holes to ensure that the roots don’t rot, you also need to make sure that they're the right size.
'When it comes to the size of the pot, ensure it is roughly 6-8 inches deep,' advises Steve Chilton, the garden expert from LeisureBench. 'This will provide the required space for optimum root growth.'
When you have your pots ready, you then need to fill them with a good-quality potting mix. Lucy from How to Houseplant suggests that you can then 'sprinkle a few seeds directly onto the surface of the pot and water with a fine mister'.
3. Take care of your spinach
How long your spinach seeds take to grow will all depend on the variety you choose, but you should expect to harvest your first yield after 4 - 8 weeks for smaller leaves or 6 - 10 weeks for larger leaves. Since spinach is one of the best vegetables to sow in August, you could be enjoying your crop just in time for autumn.
Thankfully, spinach is one of the many vegetables that can grow in the shade, so you don’t need to move your pot around the house to catch the sun. 'Spinach doesn’t like to be in super-hot conditions, so pick a spot which is warm and sheltered but receives shade during the hottest part of the day,' says Sally from All That Grows. 'If the plant gets too hot, the leaves get scorched, and they may turn yellow or brown and curl up.'
Spinach grown in a pot doesn’t need too hefty of a watering schedule, either. As long as you have sowed your seeds in a pot with well-draining soil and drainage holes, you just need to focus on making sure the soil is always moist but never wet.
'Usually, watering once a week is a good schedule for spinach,' advises Steve from LeisureBench. 'It can be hard knowing when to water your plants, so it is recommended that if the soil is damp, don’t re-water, and if it feels dry, then make sure that the top few inches are fully dry, too, not just the top layer.'
Does spinach grow well in containers?
Yes! Spinach grows extremely well in containers, as the roots are incredibly short and will still get sufficient nutrients from a small pot. But while spinach is fairly easy to grow in containers, it’s important to sow the seeds correctly and tend to your spinach plants during their growth period. By doing this, you can ensure that you have a healthy supply that’ll just keep growing and growing.
How long does it take to grow spinach in a pot?
Normally, you can expect spinach to grow in 6 weeks, but these will normally be smaller, baby-leaf varieties. If you choose to grow a larger variety of spinach, you might have to wait a little longer to add this pot-grown spinach to your salads.
