Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that most of us are familiar with. However, few people realize that this superfood starts as a tiny seed. Spinach seeds are small but mighty packing the potential to produce nutrient-dense greens.
In this article we’ll uncover everything you need to know about spinach seeds. Read on to learn what they look like, how to harvest and store them and creative ways to use them.
What Are Spinach Seeds?
Spinach seeds are the small, dry fruits that contain the embryos of future spinach plants. They form after spinach flowers are pollinated and produce seed pods. Inside these pods, the seeds mature until the pods split open.
Spinach is an annual plant, completing its lifecycle in one growing season. During the late spring or summer months, spinach exposed to consistently warm weather will “bolt” and send up tall stalks topped with dainty white flowers. Once pollinated by bees, the flowers develop into clusters of green, oval seed pods.
As the seed pods ripen and dry out, they crack open to reveal dozens of tiny spinach seeds. These seeds will sprout into new spinach plants the following growing season, allowing the lifecycle to continue.
What Do Spinach Seeds Look Like?
Spinach seeds are minuscule, typically measuring between 1-2 millimeters long. Their shape is oval with slightly pointed ends. When fresh, spinach seeds are green. But as they dry out, the seeds fade to beige or light brown.
The seed coat has a subtle wrinkled texture. When you look closely, you can see a tiny white dot on one end of the seed, which is the embryo.
Here’s a summary of spinach seed identification:
- Size: 1-2 mm long
- Shape: Slightly oval with tapered ends
- Color: Green (fresh), beige or light brown (dried)
- Texture: Wrinkled seed coat
- Features: Tiny white embryo dot on one end
To give you an idea of just how small they are, around 170,000 spinach seeds make up just one ounce. But their tiny size shouldn’t fool you – these seeds pack a nutritional punch.
Comparing Spinach Seeds to Other Seeds
While diminutive, spinach seeds have some distinguishing features when compared to other seed varieties:
- Lettuce seeds: Similar size/shape but lighter in color (off-white or tan). Smooth surface.
- Chard seeds: Bigger in size (3-4 mm) with more elongated shape. Golden brown.
- Beet seeds: Much larger (5-6 mm) and more rounded in shape. Reddish-brown.
- Quinoa seeds: Flatter and smoother texture. Vibrant yellow hue.
Once you become familiar with their oval silhouette and wrinkled coat, spinach seeds are easy to identify.
How to Harvest and Store Spinach Seeds
Want to collect your own spinach seeds from the garden? Here are some tips:
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Allow a few spinach plants to bolt, flower, and set seed pods in late spring or summer Seeds will mature by mid-fall
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Monitor plants closely and harvest pods once they are completely dry and brown. Ripe seeds should easily shake loose when pods are pinched.
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Place harvested pods in a paper bag, crushing them lightly to separate the seeds. Discard pods and chaff.
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Spread seeds on a paper towel and let dry 1-2 weeks.
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Store thoroughly dry seeds in airtight glass jars or envelopes in a cool, dry location.
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Label with plant type and harvest date. Stored properly, seeds stay viable for 3-5 years.
Saving your own spinach seeds ensures a future supply of this nutritious crop!
How to Plant Spinach Seeds
Once you’ve harvested or purchased spinach seeds, it’s easy to plant them:
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When: Sow seeds 2-4 weeks before your last spring frost for best results. Spinach thrives in cool conditions.
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Where: Choose a spot with full sun and nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. Work in compost to optimize fertility.
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How: Sow seeds 1⁄2 inch deep in rows 12-18 inches apart. Space seeds 1 inch apart within rows.
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Germination: Seeds sprout in 7-14 days at soil temperatures of 45-75°F.
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Care: Keep soil moist. Add mulch once seedlings emerge to retain moisture. Thin overcrowded plants.
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Harvest: Baby spinach leaves can be picked in as little as 25 days! Cut outer leaves rather than uprooting whole plants to extend harvests.
With proper care, spinach seeds will yield abundant harvests of nutritious greens. The more you pick, the more they produce!
The Nutritional Benefits of Spinach Seeds
While spinach leaves get all the glory, the seeds boast an impressive lineup of nutrients:
- Excellent source of protein (over 20%)
- High in fiber for digestion (20% RDA)
- Rich in omega-3s like ALA for reducing inflammation
- Dense in carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health
- Antioxidant, phytonutrient, and mineral content for wellness
Rather than discarding them, try incorporating spinach seeds into recipes. Sprinkled onto dishes, they offer pleasant crunch and nutrition.
Creative Ways to Use Spinach Seeds
Beyond planting and eating, spinach seeds can be used creatively:
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Create unique art by gluing seeds onto paper, wood, or canvas pieces. Their green color and oval shape make them perfect for nature crafts.
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Stuff empty tea bags with seeds for DIY spinach seed tea. Enjoy the mild, earthy taste and nutrition.
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Fill old socks with seeds to craft hand warmers. Simply heat in the microwave and apply to sore spots.
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Use as bird feed for pet finches, canaries, or parakeets that will appreciate the tiny size.
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Adhere seeds onto biodegradable paper strips using flour paste to make “seed tape” for easy garden spacing.
However you decide to use them – planting, eating, or crafting – don’t underestimate the power packed inside these tiny spinach seeds!
The Takeaway on Spinach Seeds
While they may be small, spinach seeds offer immense potential. These tiny brown specs each contain an embryo ready to unfurl into vibrant green spinach leaves. With a wrinkled surface and pointed oval shape, seeds are easy to recognize once you know what to look for. Learning to harvest, store, and sow spinach seeds ensures an ongoing supply of nutritious greens. Beyond planting, these dynamic seeds can be eaten or used creatively in arts, crafts, and DIY projects. Finally, don’t forget the nutrition – seeds boast protein, fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants, and more. No matter how you utilize them, spinach seeds deliver outsized benefits.
The Case for Direct Sowing Spinach Seeds Instead of Transplanting Spinach Plants
There are two reasons why starting your own spinach by seed directly in the area you plan to grow it just makes sense, even if youre a beginner gardener who may be a little intimidated by sowing seeds.
The first reason is cost. You can buy a whole package of spinach seeds for $3. Even if you only get one or two of those seeds to grow (which is way underestimating), youll still save money over buying spinach plants at the plant store for $3 each. I just dont think buying lettuce or spinach plants at the store is ever worth it, especially if you dont know how old those plants are and how theyve been grown.
The second reason is the robustness of the plant. I have a good friend who is a gardening pro (Id say way better than me), and she starts her spinach by seed indoors. She saw my spinach plants one time and commented that mine still seemed to be thriving even though the weather was heating up. My theory is that my plants are more robust than hers because they were started in the garden and never transplanted. I think starting spinach indoors and moving it makes it bolt sooner. Spinach is a shallow-rooted plant, and those roots just arent made for transfer.
Thats why I strongly recommend direct sowing your spinach in the garden. Its super easy—just follow these five steps!
Five: Cover Your Planting Area with Garden Hoops and Mesh
The garlic cloves will help with smaller pests, and now we need to do something to keep larger pests, like squirrels, rabbits, and deer, out of our spinach bed.
The final touch when planting spinach is to cover your raised bed immediately after planting to protect your greens.
To cover, youll need one to three hoops like these to span across your raised bed (depending on the size of your bed), and then youll drape garden mesh over these hoops. The cloth is porous, so it lets air, water, and sunlight in, while keeping pests out. Ive found so much success using this simple form of organic pest control.
Use some pins like these to hold your mesh in place after tucking the edges into the bed.
You can use these same hoops to support frost cloth if youre getting frost this winter to extend the life of your spinach plants.
how does spinach seeds look like | How do you get seeds from spinach?
FAQ
What does spinach going to seed look like?
When a spinach plants starts to go to seed, the leaves change and resemble an arrowhead.
What to do with spinach that has gone to seed?
For spinach, I find they hang onto the seed clusters really well, and won’t drop seeds easily. Pull the whole plant, put over a tray or cookie sheet, and rub the brown seed heads gently, and voila, you have fall’s or next spring’s spinach seeds.
Does spinach self-seed?
Instead, try letting certain vegetables, like lettuce, spinach, radishes and fennel, self-sow. The idea is to let some of these plants bolt – this happens when the plant is done growing. It sends up a tall stalk with flowers. Inside those flowers are seeds and those seeds grow more plants.
What does spinach look like?
The spinach in Mark’s Veg Plot has a bright green, almost yellow appearance, contrasting the much darker green of Swiss Chard. The individual leaves are much bigger than most types of spinach. You can eat small leaves raw if you like, but the big ones need cooking.
Where does spinach come from?
Spinach is a is a leafy green flowering plant originated in Persia. The vegetable has many health benefits provided by its antioxidant substances, vitamins such as folate, magnesium and vitamin A, as well as fiber, which help to reduce the risks of developing chronic diseases. Spinach is also a source of other substances beneficial to the body, such as lutein, which can help reducing the incidence of macular degeneration, one of the main causes of blindness in the elderly.
What do baby spinach leaves look like?
When they first pop out of the ground, baby spinach seedlings will have two long and narrow leaves. These are called the “seed leaves”. All of the ones that grow after that are called “true leaves”. The true leaves look like the mature ones, only they are much smaller.
How to grow spinach seeds?
Direct sowing (best method) – The easiest way to grow spinach seeds is to plant them directly into your garden. It’s actually really nice, because that means you don’t have to worry about buying any equipment or caring for the seedlings indoors. Starting them indoors – While you could start them indoors, I don’t recommend it.
Where do spinach seeds hang?
Spinach seeds hang in tight clusters close to the stalk. I realize this is a blurry shot, but it’s the best I have right now. Still, here you can easily see all the seed in tight clusters. The leaves have withered to almost nothing, but there are a lot of seeds on that little portion of stalk.
How to thresh spinach seeds?
So, just tie a string around the bag and hang it up or set it out of the way. Air drying spinach seeds is the easiest way; just hang it up and forget it for a couple of weeks. Air drying the seeds and stalks of spinach plants. After a few weeks, you can thresh out your seeds.