Description
1/4 ounce
Days to Maturity: 40 days
Productive variety sporting very large, glossy dark green leaves with rich flavor.
Butterflay stole the show among the hybrid and open-pollinated spinach varieties in our fall trials, exhibiting better vigor and emergence than any other variety, as well as unmatched intense green color.
- Field variety
- Spring/fall
Soil Nutrients and Requirements
Like all leafy greens, spinach thrives in fertile and moist soil. Spinach is sensitive to soil pH, preferring a range of 6.5-7. Magnesium deficiency manifests in yellowing leaves similar to nitrogen deficiency. Because spinach will carry excess nitrates if over fertilized, try correcting Magnesium first.
Seeding Depth
1/8-1/4”
Plant Spacing
For babyleaf ~40seeds/ft” in 2-4” bands, for bunching 2”
Row Spacing
For babyleaf space bands 1-2” apart, for bunching 12-18”
When to Sow
Direct seed as soon as soil can be worked in the spring, and again in the late summer-early fall. Greenhouse spinach is sown in early fall to give just enough time to germinate and produce a modest amount of leaf, but not grow so fast as to require a lot of upkeep. Seed germinates best when soil temperatures are 32-60°F and achieves the best quality when air temperatures are 55-60°F. Sow every 7 days for a continual harvest.
Harvest
Harvest individual leaves or cut baby leaves 1” above the ground. Harvest the entire plant for bunched spinach by cutting the whole plant right below its crown.