Encourage a vibrant green spinach crop with these fall and spring companions.
Too much shade and you’ll end up with an underwhelming crop.
Too little moisture, and you’ll find yourself waiting until the next cool season for a bumper crop.
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Ready to start planning your cool weather garden?
In the late spring and summer, spinach can benefit greatly from some shade from a taller growing crop.
Ive had success planting Spinach under trellised snap peas," says Weinstein.
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This helps provide some shade and extend the growing season into early summer.
However, whenfall sets in, Weinstein looks to morevibrant companions.
You’re in luck.
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These two leafy greens both grow well in rich, moist soil.
This breaks up the soil for spinach’s shallow roots, giving them an easier place to take hold.
Radishes
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Radishes are the perfect pick for growing with spinach.
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Spinach’s shallow roots won’t touch radish’s long roots.
Both love rich, moist soil and neither one is greedy with space in the garden.
They’ll happily thrive next to each other in spring and fall.
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Chives
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While humans love the pungent aroma ofchivesand other alliums, pests do not.
Your spinach will grow safely guarded by these aromatic plants.
Peas
Peas and spinach are two cool weather plants that get along swimmingly in the garden.
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They add vibrant color to your beds, but they also deter aphids and nematodes.
Deer and rabbits will also steer clear when marigolds are present.
These should never be planted near spinach.
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Peppers
Peppers are a little too showy and needy to get along with spinach.
They grow up and out, shading anything beneath them, including spinach.
While they’re growing, peppers need heavy doses of nutrients but can be easily overwatered.
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This can steal essential nutrients from spinach, who will be there looking for more moisture.
Fennel
As a general rule,fenneldoesn’t get along with anyone in the garden.
It leaches a chemical into the soil that impacts the growth of plants around it.
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Plus, its tall nature will prevent sun from reaching low-growing spinach.
take a stab at plant crops that attract and repel different pests so you don’t encourage their spread.
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