When to sow Perpetual spinach (spinach beet) in the UK
Perpetual spinach (spinach beet) is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Perpetual spinach (spinach beet) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| East Anglia | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Northern England | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Northern Ireland | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late August | mid April to early September | late May to early May |
Growing notes
A leaf beet rather than a true spinach: far slower to bolt than annual spinach and a single spring sowing will crop for close to a year if you keep picking. A second sowing in July or August gives the best leaves for winter and the following spring.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 20 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 40 cm
- Plants per m²
- 12
- Days to maturity
- 60 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.5 kg
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 28 days, up to about 3 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- birds
- slugs
- downy mildew
- leaf spot
Companion planting
Grows well near
- brassicas
- onion
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for perpetual spinach (spinach beet).