Steve Yoder
I'm Steve, a 30-something urban gardener fascinated by companion planting research. Growing up surrounded by greenery sparked my passion for gardening early on. I enjoy transforming my small backyard, experimenting with companion planting techniques and eco-friendly practices. Sustainability matters—I advocate for native plants and composting.
Table of Contents
This article teaches about spinach in general and the best spinach companion plants.
Spinach in General
Easy to Grow
Spinach is a cool season crop, which means it grows best in spring and fall. As a fast-growing plant, harvest spinach within 3 months of planting if sown right into the soil. Spinach is easy to grow in most climates and soils. With its nutritional value (high in vitamins A and C), add spinach to a variety of dishes or eat it as a snack by itself!
Shade Loving
Spinach is a shade-loving plant. Plant spinach in areas where there is not a lot of direct sunlight. Spinach does not like hot temperatures and will wilt when exposed to them for too long. So, choose an area where the spinach will get at least some shade in the afternoon or evening.
Spinach also prefers moist soil. So, plant your spinach in an area with dry conditions. Also, during rainy periods when the soil moisturizes by runoff water from nearby hillsides or streams.
Fast Growth
Spinach is a fast-growing plant that can grow in a wide range of soil types, temperatures, and light levels. Spinach requires less water than most plants and will tolerate dry periods. Yet, it grows best with regular moisture. Spinach is also very tolerant to pH levels (ranging from 6.0 to 8.0).
Spinach tolerates a wide range of soils including sandy loams or clays. Thus, it performs better in loose, well-drained soils high in organic matter. For example, composted manure or composted green manures like buckwheat or hairy vetch.
Long Harvest Period
Spinach is a vegetable that you should harvest for fresh eating, freezing, and canning. It’s an annual plant.
Spinach is in the brassica family of plants. These are broccoli, kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. Thus, spinach is less sensitive to cold than its cousins. Spinach tends to prefer cooler weather than these other veggies. Though it can withstand temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). This preference for cooler leads spinach to grow throughout spring into fall months. Even into winter if you live in milder climates. Spinach makes a great companion plant for any crop in your garden!
Advantages of spinach companion plants
Spinach is a great companion plant. It’s fast-growing, easy to grow, and can even be grown in the shade. Spinach does not do well with all plants. But it’s important to know which plants are good for your garden and which plants you must avoid as spinach companion plants.
Spinach is a great companion plant for many different kinds of companion plants. Growing spinach in the ground or in raised beds makes it a great crop to grow. Grow spinach in containers as well! It is an excellent choice for urban farmers or those with limited space.
Best spinach companion plants
Spinach is a great companion plant for many different kinds of companion plants. Here are some examples:
Spinach is a good companion plant for lettuce! It improves the quality and production of your lettuce by attracting insects that eat aphids. (Aphids are tiny little bugs that can destroy your entire crop).
Spinach is also good with carrots because it improves the quality and production of carrots in two ways. One way spinach helps with carrots is by attracting pests1 flying away from them. Another way spinach improves the health of carrots is by improving their ability to absorb nutrients from the soil.
Use spinach as a companion plant for radishes too! Radishes love having spinach around! They make it harder for pests like slugs or snails to get into their rows while they’re growing up there together. Plus, radishes can use some extra help absorbing nutrients from the soil too. So having spinach nearby will help them out there! (Note: You may want to rotate these three kinds of plants so that each one gets its row every few years).
Plant spinach companion plants close by to help deter pests such as aphids and flea beetles. These attract spinach plants and may also attract insect predators such as ladybugs that feed on aphids in the garden.
References
- Sarkar, S. C., Wang, E., Wu, S., & Lei, Z. (2018). Application of trap cropping as companion plants for the management of agricultural pests: a review. Insects, 9(4), 128.