When to sow Spinach in the UK
Spinach 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
Spinach 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 | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| South Coast and Channel | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| South East and Home Counties | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| East Anglia | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Wales and West Coast | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Northern England | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Northern Ireland | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | mid March to late August | late April to late October |
Growing notes
Bolts quickly in hot, dry weather; sow hardy varieties in late summer for an autumn and overwintering crop under fleece.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 8 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 20 cm
- Plants per m²
- 100
- Days to maturity
- 56 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.05 kg
- Sun
- Partial shade
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 20 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 14 days, up to about 6 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- bolting
- downy mildew
- slugs
- birds
Companion planting
Grows well near
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for spinach.