Spinach Farming

Spinach (Spinacia oleraceae) is a tender-leafed herbaceous annual plant in the family Amaranthaceae, grown for its leaves, which are used as a vegetable.

The spinach plant has simple leaves which stem from the center of the plant. They grow in a rosette and can appear crinkled or flat.

It also produces small yellow-green flowers which produce small fruit clusters containing seeds.

Spinach is a fast-growing annual crop and survives only one growing season reaching 30 cm in height.

It is eaten cooked as a vegetable and contains both large amounts iron, calcium, and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Ecological Requirements

Spinach is a cool-weather vegetable and can survive the first frost of temperate climates.

It germinates and grows optimally at temperatures between 4-16°C. However, it can withstand temperatures as low as -7C.

Spinach grows best in a well-draining loamy soil with an optimum pH of between 6.4 and 7. It is sensitive to acidic soil and if the pH is too high, adding HUMIPOWER is recommended.

Although it prefers full sun, spinach can still produce significantly in partial shade.

In hot weather, seeds germinate slowly or may fail to germinate completely. Heat also causes the plants to bolt (go to seed) quickly, ruining the flavor of the crop.

Planting & Cultural Practices

Propagation of spinach is solely by seeds.

Spinach is first raised in a nursery before transplanting into the main field.

Nursery Establishment

Procedure

• Prepare the nursery bed, 1 metre wide against the required length.
• Drench the soil with a mixture of LOYALTY 700WDG 10g + PYRAMID 700WP 100g+ OPTIMIZER 20ml in 20 litres of water. Loyalty kills all soil pests, Pyramid eradicates soil diseases while Optimizer provides nutrients, breaks seed dormancy as well as promoting uniform germination.
• Drill seeds across the bed at a depth of about 1inch.
• Cover seeds lightly with soil.
• Cover nursery bed with a thin layer of dry grass (mulch).
• Water the nursery bed.
• Seeds germinate within 5-7 days.

Seedlings should be watered regularly

Transplanting

Seedlings are ready for transplanting after 4-5 weeks, when with 3-4 leaves. This however depends on the ecological factors in the region, e.g. temperature.

Transplanting should be done on a cloudy day or late in the evening when the sun is cool.

Note;

• Wet seedlings an hour before uprooting them from the nursery. This prevents root damages.
• To preventing transplanting shock, OPTIMIZER 10ml/20l is sprayed to the transplants.

Procedure

• Select a site with full sun to light shade and well-drained soil.
• Plough the land 2-3weeks in advance at a depth of at least 8inchesand harrow the field.
• Prepare raised beds. These are recommended for proper drainage and root establishment. The beds should be 15cm high, 1metre wide and about 100metres long.
• Incorporate soil with manure and DAP. These should be mixed with HUMIPOWER in order to help improve on nutrient uptake, stimulate root development among other benefits.
• Water the beds, unless the soil is wet enough.
• Plant the seedlings in the beds. This should be done at the same depth they were previously growing at while in the nursery. They should be spaced at 12-15 inches between rows and 5 inches between the plants. This gives room for the leaves to reach full size.

Thinning– when seedlings sprout to about two inches, they should be thinned to 3-4 inches apart. This helps in reducing competition as well as ensuring sufficient air circulation within the crops.

Weeding– weeds compete with the crop for growth factors like nutrients as well as harbouring pest. They should therefore be controlled. Since spinach roots are shallow and easily damaged, care must be taken when weeding.

Mulching-this helps to keep the soil moist and to suppress weeds. Decomposed mulch releases nutrients into the soil, which are absorbed by the crop. It also helps prevent soil erosion.

Irrigation– watering should be done regularly because spinach requires high levels of moisture.

Crop rotation– spinach should not be planted on the same plot over and over, because this causes spinach pests and diseases to build up in the soil. Rotations should be done with other crops like beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, etc.

Pests & Disease Control

Pests

Cutworms and wireworms – cutworms cut off the stems of young seedlings at ground level while wireworms feed on the foliage and roots.

Drench soil with PENTAGON 50EC 20ml/20l or PROFILE 440EC 60ml/20l

Aphids – these are small soft bodied insects found on underside of leaves and/or stems of plant; usually green or yellow in color. Infestation causes yellowing and distortion of leaves, formation of necrotic spots and stunted shoots. Aphids secrete a sticky, sugary substance (honeydew) which encourages the growth of sooty mold on the plants

Spray KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l or LOYALTY 700WDG 5g/20l

To cleanse the sooty mold, spray JAMBO CLEAN 100ml/20l

Spinach crown mite– these mites live deep in the crown of the spinach plant. Their feeding causes deformation of leaves and small holes form in newly expanding leaves. Damage can be to newly emerged seedlings or to older plants.

Spray ALONZE 50EC 5ml/20l or BAZOOKA 18EC 10ml/20l

Slugs and snails – they leave relatively large holes in spinach leaves. Slimy trails are evident.

Drench soil with PROFILE 440EC 6oml/20l

Leaf miners – these leave meandering tan trails or mines on the leaves as they feed. Heavily infested leaves curl and become distorted.

Spray ESCORT 19EC 10ml/20l or EMERALD 200SL 10ml/20l or ALONZE 50EC 5ml/20l

Flea beetles –these feed mostly on young foliage and the damage consists of a number of small holes, leaving the leaf looking as though it had been hit by a blast. The leaves sometimes have bleached and pitted areas.

Spray LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l or KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or PRESENTO 200SP 5g/20l

Cabbage loopers– these caterpillars are pale green with a white lines running down either side of their body. Feeding leads to formation of large or small holes on leaves and the damage is often extensive.

Spray KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or BACIGUARD 16WDG or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l

Armyworms– feeding causes singular, or closely grouped circular to irregularly shaped holes in foliage. Heavy feeding by young larvae leads to skeletonized leaves, and egg clusters may be present on the leaves, which are covered in a whitish scale giving them a cottony or fuzzy appearance.

Spray KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l or PENTAGON 50EC 10ml/20l or BACIGUARD 16WDG 15g/20l

Diseases

Damping off and root rot – symptoms consist of poor seed germination, pre-emergence death of seedlings, post emergence death of newly emerged seedlings, stunted plants, yellowed lower leaves, general poor growth, wilting, and eventual collapse and death of older plants. Roots of the infected plants appear water-soaked or brown to black in color. The upper taproot may be girdled by a necrotic lesion, and the tip of the taproot may be necrotic. In severe cases of infection, nearly all roots become girdled or rotted off.

While all stages of spinach can be infected by root rot organisms, newly emerging plants and young seedlings are very susceptible.

Drench soil with PYRAMID 700WP 100g/20l or GEARLOCK TURBO 250WP 50g/20l or CHANCETYL ELITE 800WDG 100g/20l

Leaf spot– infection leads to development of small dark spots on the leaves. These enlarge forming brown lesions, which become brittle and eventually crack at the centre. The lesions can also develop on petioles and stems.

Spray CHARIOT 500s 20ml/20l or RANSOM 600WP 15g/20l or BRADLEY 500SC 10ml/20l

Downy mildew – initially dull to bright yellow spots form on cotyledons and leaves of all stages. These spots enlarge and become browning and dry. Close inspection of the underside of the leaf often reveals the purple growth of the fungus. In severe cases of infection, leaves appear curled and distorted and may take on a blighted effect as a result of numerous infection sites.

Spray TOWER 720WP 50g/20l or FORTRESS GOLD 720WP 40g/20l or GEARLOCK TURBO 250WP25g/20l

Anthracnose– initially, small, circular, water – soaked lesions form on both young and old leaves. As infection advances, these lesions turn brownish in color, and become thin and papery. In severe cases, lesions coalesce and cause severe blighting. Tiny black fruiting bodies (acervuli) form profusely in diseased tissue and are a characteristic feature of the disease.

Spray RANSOM 600WP 15g/20l or DUCASSE 250EC 20ml/20l or PROVIDENCE 440WP 50g/20l

Fusarium wilt– infection causes yellowing of older leaves, early plant maturity and premature death of plant. The vascular system of older plants may have a dark discoloration. Seedlings may develop symptoms similar to damping off where cotyledons wilt and seedling dies and black lesions may be seen on the roots.

Drench soil with GREENCOP 500WP 100g/20l

Spray crop with CHANCETYL ELITE 800WDG 100g/20l or PYRAMID 700WP 100g/20l

White rust– yellow spots form on upper side of leaves while clusters of white, blister-like pustules on the underside of leaves which may spread to upper leaf surfaces in advanced stages of infection. Infected plants show a loss of vigor and collapse if conditions are favorable to rapid disease development.

Spray RANSON 600WP 15g/20l or MILESTONE 250EC 10ml/20l or DUCASSE 250EC 20ml/20l

NUTRITION

Spinach requires sufficient nutrients for proper growth and development. It is therefore important to ensure that these nutrients are made available and in the needed quantities.

For instance;

• After transplanting, the crop should be sprayed with LAVENDER 20ml/20l or GOLDCHANCE SUPER GROWTH 50g/20l. These supply adequate Phosphorous which is responsible for root development.
• At vegetative stage, which is usually the major target to the farmer, LAVENDER 20ml/20l or GOLDCHANCE SUPER GROWTH 50g/20l should be sprayed. These provide Nitrogen to the plants which ensures vigorous growth of relatively large leaves

Basal fertilizers like CAN, DAP, NPK, etc., are also be applied. These should always be mixed with HUMIPOWER at the ratio 50:1. This improves nutrient uptake, soil structure, and water holding capacity as well as stimulating plant growth.

Note

• OPTIMIZER is a super stress manager which contains both macro and micro nutrient elements. It also helps to boost plant’s immunity and can be applied at any growth stage of the crop.
• Whenever doing foliar sprays, it is highly advisable to mix the product with INTEGRA 3ml/20l, which is a sticker, spreader and penetrant. It improves the efficacy of the product.

Maturity, Harvesting & Post-Harvest Handling

Spinach leaves are ready for harvesting as soon as they reach the desired size.

The whole plant can be harvested at once (as a bunch), or individual leaves may be picked off plants one layer at a time.

Picking only the outer (older) leaves allows the center/young ones to grow larger and this makes the plant to keep producing. It also gives the advantage of briefly delaying bolting.

For bunched spinach, roots should be trimmed short to grade standards and petioles should be predominantly shorter than the leaf blade.

Spinach is highly perishable and will not maintain good quality for more than 2 weeks. Wilting, yellowing of leaves, and decay are likely to increase following storage beyond 10-14 days.

Leaves can be refrigerated for about a week or the stems placed in fresh water in order to keep them fresh.

Note

• Don’t wait too long to harvest, or wait for larger leaves as bitterness sets in quickly after maturity.
• Harvesting should be done regularly, however, 3-4 weeks of re-growth are required before a second harvest
• Older and yellowing leaves should be avoided when making the harvest cut.
• Spinach should be uniformly green, fully turgid, fairly clean, and free from damage.