Johnny's SPINACH Planting Program
Spinach Succession Planting & Season Extension
Johnny's Spinach Planting Program is designed to illustrate which spinach varieties to plant, grow, and harvest in sequence, allowing you to extend your spinach harvest across the seasons. Slow-growing spinach varieties mature best under warm conditions, whereas faster-growing varieties mature best under cooler conditions.
Establish your spinach production plan by evaluating the sowing and harvesting slots indicated in the charts below, which list favorable planting and sowing periods; as well as key distinguishing features: leaf shape (round, oval, arrowhead), texture (smooth, semi-savoyed, savoyed), and color; days to maturity (DTM figures are for "farmer's market baby leaf size"); growth rate and tendency to bolt; and disease resistances, including strains of downy mildew and cladosporium leaf spot.
Note: Downy Mildew resistances are HR (high) unless noted.
Johnny's Planting Programs
Broccoli • Standard Heading Varieties • Planting Program
Broccoli • Mini & Sprouting Varieties • Planting Program
Brussels Sprouts • Planting/Harvesting Program
Cauliflower • Planting Program
Leeks • Planting/Harvesting Program
Lettuce • Full-size Head Varieties • Planting Program
Radish • Specialty & Daikon Varieties • Planting Program
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; smooth to slightly savoyed | 25 | Medium dark green | Fast | Medium | Races 1–3, 5–6 8, 11–12, 14; Additional IR to Cladosporium Leaf Spot (Cv) |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; semi-savoyed | 25 baby-leaf; 35 full-size | Dark green | Fast | Fast | Races 1–11, 13, 15–16 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; semi-savoyed | 26 | Dark green | Medium | Slow | Races 1–10 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Smooth; long-stemmed; uniformly oval-to-round | 26 | Dark green | Fast | Fast | Races 1–13, 15 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; semi-savoyed | 26 baby leaf; 37 full size | Dark green | Fast | Medium | Races 1–13, 15 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; smooth, uniform, oval | 27 | Very dark green | Medium | Slow | Races 1–11, 13, 15–16 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Arrowhead; long-stemmed; uniform, smooth | 27 | Dark green | Fast | Medium | Races 1–11, IR: 12–13 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Fully savoyed; slightly elongate, round, cupped | 27 | Dark green | Fast | Fast | Races 1–12, 14–16; additional HR to White Rust (WR) |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Semi-savoyed; glossy, oval | 27 | Dark green | Medium | Medium | Races 1–13, 15–16 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Semi-savoyed | 28 | Medium green | Fast | Fast | Races 1–12, 14–16 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Upright; smooth, uniform | 28 | Medium green, with dark-red veins | Fast | Fast | Races 1–13, 15 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Semi-savoyed; round-to-oval; moderately upright | 28 | Medium green | Medium | Medium | Races 1–11, 13, 15–16 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Smooth | 28 | Medium dark green | Medium | Slow | Races 1–15 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Semi-savoyed | 29 | Medium dark green | Slow | Medium | Races 1–9, 12–15; IR: 10–11 |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Heavily savoyed | 30 | Medium dark green | Medium | Fast | — |
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Early Spring
| Leaf | Days to Maturity | Color | Growth Rate | Bolting | Downy Mildew Resistance |
| Smooth, thick, small, spade-shaped | 30 | Dark green | Slow | Slow | HR: Races 1–11, 15–16; IR: 12, 14 |
At higher latitudes, such as here in Albion, Maine, spinach can be grown in a hoophouse right through winter. The key is to have the spinach established before the day length drops below 10 hours, after which growth rate slows to a standstill but tolerance to cold temperatures remains in effect, allowing for winter harvest and overwintering for early spring harvest.
Seeding for winter production occurs at the warmest time of the year, when spinach traditionally performs poorly. Keep the soil moist and cool, but monitor well to prevent damping off. Irrigating cools the soil in two ways: by physically cooling the soil with cold water; and by evapotranspiration, by which evaporation draws heat from the soil.