Cool-Season Vegetable

When to Plant Spinach

Fast from seed to salad. Spinach bolts in heat, so plant early in spring and again in fall.

Sun

Partial to full sun (3-5 hours)

Water

1 inch per week

Days to Harvest

35-50

Difficulty

beginner

Spacing

Frost Tolerance

very high

The Short Answer

Spinach are cold-tolerant and actually prefer cooler growing conditions. You can direct sow seeds 6 weeks before your last frost date — one of the earliest crops you can plant. Enter your zip code on our homepage tool for exact dates.

How to Grow Spinach

Spinach is the speed demon of cool-season greens — it races from seed to harvest in 35-45 days, then races equally fast to bolt when heat arrives. The secret to extending spinach season is morning sun with afternoon shade, and heavy mulch to keep roots cool. Bloomsdale Long Standing lives up to its name as the slowest-bolting standard variety. For summer spinach cravings, plant Malabar spinach (not true spinach) — it's a tropical vine that produces spinach-flavored leaves in the heat that kills real spinach.

Direct Sowing

Spinach can be direct sown 6 weeks before your last frost date. Plant seeds 0.5" deep, spaced 6" apart.

Fall Planting

Spinach are planted in fall, 6 weeks before your average first frost date. Plant 0.5" deep, 6" apart.

Growing Tips

Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in spring. For fall, plant 6-8 weeks before first frost.

Companion Planting

Good companions:

Strawberries Peas Radishes

Spinach Planting Dates by State

Click your state for spinach planting dates specific to your location:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Note: Planting dates are based on average frost dates from NOAA Climate Normals (30-year averages). Actual conditions vary year to year. Always check your local forecast before planting frost-sensitive crops.

Last reviewed: March 29, 2026