Spinach is a popular garden vegetable. It produces a thick cluster of wide, succulent leaves that people eat raw or cooked. Spinach is related to beets, Swiss chard, and the weed lamb’s-quarters. Spinach originally came from southwest Asia. The Persians used it as medicine. The English grew it as early as 1500, and Americans cultivated it during the colonial period.
Spinach is a low-growing annual that must be replanted each year. It grows fast, preferably in a cool season. Spinach can withstand frost but not heat. Gardeners should cultivate spinach in a fertile, sandy loam, sowing the seeds in spring and harvesting the crop in about three months. Spinach is high in vitamins and minerals. It provides an excellent source of vitamins A and C. The vegetable also has a large amount of fiber and acts as a mild laxative.
