When to Plant Spinach
Spinach is a hardy cool-season vegetable. It can take a hard frost.
Sow it outdoors 3 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. For a fall crop, sow 5 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 40 to 50 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Feb 1 – 22 | Mar 4 – 25 | Apr 3 – 24 |
| Harvest | Mar 13 – Apr 10 | Apr 13 – May 11 | May 13 – Jun 10 |
| Fall: Sow outdoors | Sep 20 – Oct 11 | Aug 30 – Sep 20 | Aug 5 – 26 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 30 – Nov 27 | Oct 9 – Nov 6 | Sep 14 – Oct 12 |
Growing spinach
Spinach bolts as days lengthen, so sow it very early in spring and again in late summer for fall.
- Spacing: 4 in apart, in rows 12 in apart. In a raised bed, 9 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 40 to 50 from sowing, then about 4 weeks of picking.
- Successions: sow again every 14 days for a steady supply. See succession planting.
- Rotation: spinach is in the beet family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cilantro, collards, dill, fava bean, green onion, kale, kohlrabi, onion (bulb), parsley, radish, strawberry. See companion plants for spinach.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant spinach and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can spinach go in before the last frost?
Yes. Spinach is hardy: sow it 3 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long does spinach take to grow?
About 40 to 50 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 4 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow spinach in fall?
Yes. Sow 5 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
How often should I sow spinach?
Every 14 days or so for a steady harvest, until the last sowing that still ripens before your first fall frost. The planner works that date out for your ZIP code.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Fall Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: Early Spring Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing Leafy Greens in Iowa
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home