Although , we all aware about importance of spinach . But still, fewer use it in daily basis . Let’s be simple here! Do you guys know? Spinach (Spinacia oleraceais) superstar among all green leafy vegetables.
It is package of many benefits for our body include:-
° Immunity booster– play most crucial role for today’s time to maintain our immune system , it help in fighting against germs and prevent from many infection and skin problems ( acne , tanning and also prevent from sun rays ).
° Nutrients rich source- abundant in calcium and manganese which help in rebuilding of bone tissue by osteoporosis process.
° Vitamin (A, ,B ,C ,K ) rich source –
Vitamin A prevent from blindness.
Vitamin B,mainly VitB9 , help in red blood cell formation by process of hematopoiesis.
Vitamin C help in growth, development and repair of all body tissues.
Vitamin K act as anticoagulant which prevent from thrombosis and easy brushing .
° Weight reducer – it reduce appetite and have low calories (23calories per 100 gram) and high nutrients . Raw spinach contain 91% of water, 4% of carbs, 3% of protein, and contains negligible fat.
° Antioxidant rich source – prevent from damage of our cell and tissue due to oxidation process in our body .
° Other – good for hair growth , lower blood pressure, promote glowing skin, prevent from cancer , prevent from heart disease and help in purifying our lungs . It also help pregnant women by preventing serious defects of the spine and brain which lead to congenital problem to the child.
Elevate mood , regulate Blood pressure, act as pain reliever and prevent from post term complications.
Now, let’s talk about how can we reach out all these benefits? It’s simple , you can grow spinach in home , your workplace and anywhere you like . Entire process of growing spinach is simple and just took 6-8 weeks with little watchout .
Some point to be noted before spinach planting –
Even tho , it is an annual , fast and easy growing plant but still, there are few points that you all have to kept in mind before planting spinach :-
• Time or season :- grow anytime , avoid December- February.
• Soil type :- well,drained , organic rich matter soil . pH should be in between 6.5 to 7.0 ( slightly acidic or netural) .
• Water :- Just keep the soil mosit . Avoid overwatering of plant . otherwise it not grow like you want.
• Prevent from pests and disease :- leaf miner , bolting , leaf spot ,cercospora (fungus infestation) and many more can be prevented just by careful watching on plant over period of time .
• Temperature :- should be -10°C to -22°C ( cool temp).
Now! There are simple and easiest steps you have to follow for planting spinach -:
• Select the place for planting spinach
It can be indoor or outdoor ,on terrace ,in pot or any container.
Ensure area should be balance of light and shade and pH should be maintained .
*Prepare your soil with manure atleast for week before planting spinach.
• Sow the seed
Now sow the seed 1/2 to 2 inches deep atleast and if sowing many, have space between 12-18 inches . This will help plant to grow and expand their root.
• Provide proper watering
During germination period, ensure soil is moist accurately for fast growth . But avoid over watering .
• Moniter temperature
Keep temperature balanced , if soil temperature increase over 70°F it doesn’t grow well and avoid overheating , use shade clothes to cover spinach plant .
• Mulch
Provide protective covering from sawdust, compost, or paper to reduce evaporation, erosion , control weed and enrich soil , these all help to grow your spinach faster. But avoid over mulching.
• Check for pest and disease
Keep your eye on plant , don’t let pests and disease affect them . Don’t over water the plant , prevent from overheating and use mulch or You can sow companion plants ,like radish near spinach – to avoid pest and disease.
*Beside from this , bolting is another problem to be noted. It is due to poor watering , excessive sun exposure or too much heat in the final stage of growth process. To overcome this problem , pull out your spinach plant or better try next time.
If you carefully maintained spinach plant for period of time , your spinach is ready to harvest .
• Harvest properly
Harvesting is also very keen point here to be noted, spinach leaves can be harvested with scissors just by simple cutting of leaves at the stem . Don’t be in rush or wait for too long to harvest for larger leaves otherwise it get bitter. If harvest is correctly done, you can regrow the spinach plant again for 2 or 3 times under favorable conditions.
Have Look: How to Plant Butterfly bushes
•Storage
Gently wrap spinach in the paper towel to absorb excessive moisture and then store it in refrigerator for 1 week . Wash spinach at time of use . After storage use preservation techniques to store for long freezing or dehydration simply can be done.
And have spinach in different forms like –
Can be use in toast ,can have with soupsand stews, mix with vegetables or with daal , can be added with fruits and just steam it and have it.
These all will provide all essential component of food to your body. Even tho, spinach is superhero but still there are something noted before eating. You have to watch out , if you use spinach in excess, its rich in oxalate which increase risk of kidney stone and be carefully used by heart surgery patients or those who took Aspirin (blood thinning agent )because it also have anticoagulant properties. So be careful how much you eat.
Have Look: How to grow hydrangeas
Hope you guy’s find this article helpful . So now stay healthy and keep planting.