Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Also called Baby spinach
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitA cool-weather crop. Sow in spring and autumn; summer sowings bolt before you can pick them.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 2 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Central Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA, Johnny's Selected Seeds and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Pale yellow blotches on the upper leaf with a grey-violet felt on the underside directly beneath them, worst after a cool damp week.Spinach downy mildew · disease
- The centre lifts and the new leaves come out narrow and pointed rather than rounded — long days and a dry root start it, and the leaf turns bitter.Bolting · disorder
- Whole leaves torn back to the stalks with no slime trail is pigeons; holes with a silver track beside them, overnight, is slugs.Slugs and pigeons · pest