Grow Spinach (Palak) in Pots at Home + Organic Pesticide
Quick steps to growing SPINACH in pots
- Break & loosen the soil.
- Add some organic or vermi compost.
- Sprinkle spinach / palak seeds thinly.
- Cover the seeds with more compost OR mix into the soil.
- Keep the soil damp till seeds germinate.
- Spinach seeds take about 3-5 days to come up.
That was a quick easy guide to starting Spinach (Palak) seeds in your home garden, for the impatient. Now let’s discuss in detail!
Spinach is one of the healthiest greens around. No wonder it is Popeye’s favorite! Smoothies, soups, salads & curries are some of the great ways to consume this green leaf of goodness. But, just like other greens, it is best to grow your own Spinach at home, in your kitchen garden, to reap the best benefits. Not only is it clean & healthy, the freshness is unbeatable. The best way to plant Spinach (Palak) is from seeds. Once started, you can continue to harvest it for long.
I prefer to grow Spinach in a large pot (don’t use plastic) in a semi shaded spot in the garden.
- To do this, I’ve first tilled the soil in the pot till it is loose & airy. Make sure to go at 8″-10″deep. This is good for the roots when they grow and you can also filter out debris, if any.
- Then sprinkle the seeds thinly. If you sow too many seeds, they will just compete for space. Don’t be tempted and throw in a few seeds only. This is very important for a good crop. For an 18″ diameter pot, i have sown approx. 1 tsp. seeds.
- Now either cover the seeds lightly with some more soil/compost OR simply mix lightly into the soil. Don’t worry if a few seeds keep showing. They will blend in slowly with watering.
- Now water and wait. Make sure the water drains well and the soil stays damp NOT WET.
- Spinach seeds will take 3-5 days to come up. Let them grow and keep watering moderately.
- Start harvesting when the leaves are more than 4″ in length. Do not pull the entire plant. Just pinch the leaves from their stems. The roots will continue to produce more.
- It is the best to grow another batch in a separate pot after 3-4 days so that a continuous supply can be maintained.
Organic Homemade Pesticide to prevent diseases in Spinach / Palak crop.
This is a great way to ensure disease-free greens. Take a bottle of boiled Neem water, 1 tsp. of EPSOM SALT & a pinch of Hing (Asafoetida). Shake well & spray in the evening, every 10 days. It helps grow healthy Spinach leaves.
TO KNOW ABOUT GROWING MORE GREENS, CHECK THE LINK BELOW
GROWING DHANIA / CORIANDER AT HOME
Till then,
HAPPY GARDENING
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