Spinach Cultivation is a cool-season crop in India. Before the weather warms, plant the spinach in springtime and again as the weather cools in early autumn. Spinach doesn’t grow well during long hot summer days or in wet weather.
When you go into commercial spinach cultivation in India, you need to know the factors to add to your information. Different tools are required for spinach cultivation. Tractors, rotavators, cultivators, and harvesters are important tools in farming. Tractors play a major role in every farming. You can use a Massey 6028 tractor and any other tractor for spinach cultivation.
Where to Grow Spinach
- You should grow the spinach in complete sun. In warm regions, grow the spinach in partial shade.
- Farmers plant the spinach in loam, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Add a commercial organic plant or two inches of aged compost mix to the planting beds before planting. After that, use the soil to be 12 inches (30cm) deep.
- You should prefer the spinach soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
- Ideal spinach grows in cool weather, and you keep the temperature of growing spinach between 50°F to 70°F (10-21°C).
- Long days and warm weather will cause spinach to bolt. Then flower the spinach and go to seed.
Spinach Growing Time
- Spinach is a cool-season annual. It requires 6 to 7 weeks of cool weather, from sowing to harvesting.
- Spinach grows best when planted outside in early spring and again in autumn. In mild-winter areas, grow spinach outside in winter.
- Before the last frost time in spring, sow spinach indoors 6 – 8 weeks to transplant 4 weeks before the last frost. However, if the roots are damaged at the time of transplanting, the seedlings may suffer transplant shock.
- Direct sow or transplant spinach outside 4 weeks before the last average frost date.
- In mild-winter areas, plant spinach in late summer or early autumn for harvesting in autumn or winter; Sow spinach for an autumn harvest, 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost.
- Spinach can be grown everywhere in winter in a cold frame or plastic tunnel.
- Autumn-started spinach can survive the winter under thick mulch; the plants will grow again in the spring.
- Plant consecutive crops of spinach every 10 to 14 days.
- Don’t grow spinach during the summer in areas with hot summers. Instead, grow New Zealand spinach or Malabar spinach that is heat tolerant.
Planting Spinach
- Plant spinach seeds an inch (12 mm) deep. Cover the seeds with light soil.
- Store the seeds in the refrigerator for 1 week before sowing to help with germination.
- Sow the seeds of spinach at a distance of 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm).
- Space rows 12 to 14 inches (30-35 cm) apart.
- Spinach seeds will germinate in 5 to 9 days at 70°F (21°C).
- Thin the spinach to 12 inches (30 cm) when the shoots are 3 inches (7 cm). Thin to the strongest seedling and also remove weak plants by cutting them at soil level with scissors.
- If you want to grow spinach in a container, allow one plate for each 8-inch (20cm)pot. Plant spinach on 10-inch (25cm) centres in a large container.
- Spinach is a heat-sensitive type of crop. Therefore, move the container into the shade on hot and warm days.
- Containers will heat more hastily than garden soil in spring.
Feeding and Watering For Spinach Cultivation
- To grow spinach quickly, and also keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season.
- You should avoid splashing the muddy water onto leaves.
- Mulch around the plants with straw or shredded leaves to avoid soil falling on the leaves.
- Side dress plants with a diluted solution of compost tea or fish emulsion every two weeks during the growing season.
- Side dress spinach with aged compost in mid-season.
Spinach Pests
Spinach can be attacked by flea beetles, aphids, leafminers, slugs, and spider mites.
Remove aphids from plants with a strong blast of water and also pinch off heavily affected leaves.
Remove the leaves in which the leafminers are tunneling. Look for eggs under the leaves. Floating row covers can drive leafminer flies out of the planting bed.
Spinach Diseases
- Spinach is susceptible to mosaic, rust, and mildew.
- Plant the rust and disease-resistant varieties of spinach.
- Rust and mildew are fungal diseases. Spray mist leaves with compost tea to prevent fungal diseases.
- You should remove mosaic virus from affected plants in the garden.
- The mosaic virus will cause the leaves to become mottled or streaked yellow or white.
- Keep the garden clear of debris. Remove and destroy diseased plants.
Harvesting Spinach
- You can harvest the spinach leaves as soon as they are big enough to eat.
- Cut leaves 4 to 7 inches (10-17 cm.) long from plants with 6 to 8 leaves. Cut off the old outer leaves first. Then, allow the remaining young leaves to grow to maturity.
- If you cut all leaves from a plant, cut the leaves back 3 inches (7 cm) above the soil; New leaves will grow for the second crop.
- Older and very large leaves can be bitter; Harvesting leaves sooner rather than later.
Equipment Requirement
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With the above information regarding cultivation, you should also know the equipment that will help to boost the yield. Rotavators, cultivators, tillers, and tractors are essential in every cultivation. However, the Mahindra 4wd tractor is the most pivotal equipment.
For more information regarding spinach farming Business in India, stay tuned with us.
