Hi. I've never planted spinach before and I'm unsure of when to harvest this; can you please take a look at the picture and any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Deborah
This article will explain in detail:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/harvest-spinach.htm
Hi all, I am in zone 5b, Eastern US. I have some spinach and lettuce which I left in over the winter. Well, Here it is in the spring now and the leaves are still green and many of them look as though you could pick & eat them. My question: Is it safe to eat spinach and lettuce from overwintered plants if the leaves are healthy and green? I'm presuming it probably is, but then again, it when through solid freeze spells multiple times. But the leaves are still green and fresh looking? Thanks,
I wouldn't eat the leaves that sat over winter but if it is producing new leaves, it should be Ok to eat those. Some cultivars are more winter hardy than others and will start producing again in spring from fall-planted produce.
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/spinach
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/lettuce
Base of spinach going brown and leaves are crumpled and very thick
This can be due to overwatering, or overly thick soils. Fungicides may help, but well draining soil is going to be key. If you are certain that your mix drains, quickly, then I would back off on watering until the soil is dry down to about 5-8 cm, completely. A soil meter may be necessary.
These articles will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/making-sure-soil-drains-well.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/how-to-grow-spinach.htm
I'm experiencing difficulty with hydroponic spinach (stunted growth,leaves curling under,spots on leaves,weak roots that were too far from solution) & am replacing solution in DWC tank. I want to try half strength solution to see if plants will recover. Current pH level is 6.56 & PPM 715. The chart I have recommends pH 5.8 - 7.0 & PPM 1260 -1610. I know pH & PPMs must coordinate in order for plants to absorb nutrients. Does this matter short term or do I need to up nutrients while I wait to see if the plants do anything?
Well, sort of...
The pH must be within range, AND the nutrient concentration must be within the parts per million range for the specific needs of the plant at the specific stage of the plant's life.
In this case, the spinach would be fine at around 300-500 ppm. They really don't need that much nutrients, and will start to taste "off" the more that they receive.
Your problem is an infection. This could have been from an insect feeding, or from general water infection. Either way, this will need to be started over.
Make sure to sterilize the tub before you use it again, or it'll end up doing the same thing.
Here is an article that will offer more information on growing spinach in this fashion:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/growing-spinach-using-hydroponics.htm
this plant has individual spinach like leaves growing from the base and there is eventually a large yellow orange flower on it. Plant grows about 4 foot or more tall. I grew this plant from a seed and it has not flowered yet.
Unfortunately, at this stage, it is very nondescript. It almost resembles an Amaranth, but a picture of the mature specimen in flower may help.
There are not any white spots but several tiny "bumps" that seem hard. No obvious mites or bugs but some also have holes. Safe to eat?
Are all the leaves like that or just a few? If just a few I would pinch them off and discard. It could be edema or it could be galls (which may have insects inside).
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/treating-edema-in-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/treating-leaf-gall-on-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/treating-spinach-leaf-spots.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/managing-spinach-stress.htm
The rain is starting up. Do I need to cover starts? Should I wait till a dry few days to plant?
Starts should be outside by the end of September. They should be consistently moist, but not soggy. So if too much rain falls, you can cover them. For succession planting, you can plant up to 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/spinach/how-to-grow-spinach.htm