Days to Maturity: 25 to 30
A hybrid variety, Darkside, a baby leaf spinach, is a leafy vegetable. The plant sets heads that have a uniform size and shape with good tonnage. The leaves are thick, smooth, and dark green, with an oval to round shape and a fabulous flavor. Spinach is considered a superfood for its nutrient rich content, having a high (top 20) Aggregate Nutrient Density Index score (ANDI), or micronutrient-per-calorie density. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B, and C, iron, phosphorus, and chlorophyll.
Darkside Hybrid Spinach, a glabrous annual herb, is a member of the amaranth family(Amaranthaceae). It has an upright habit and a slow to moderate growth rate, forming an erect basal rosette.
Darkside Hybrid Spinach grows best in full sun to light shade and moist, organically rich, fertile, well-drained soil, preferably with a pH from 6.5 to 7.5. Succession plantings every 2 weeks is recommended for continual harvest. The plant has a high resistance to downy mildew races 1-12, 14-16, and 19.
A cool-season, winter-hardy vegetable, the toughest of the cool-season crops, one of the first to be planted in the garden, spinach seed can be direct sown into the garden as soon as the soil is workable in early spring, before the last frost date. But it can also be started indoors approximately 8 weeks before transplanting, spring and fall. It needs cold temperatures to germinate and grow, withstanding light frost and temperatures below 28 degrees. Row covers offer added protection from heavy frost. Mulching helps to moderate soil temperature and to maintain soil moisture.
If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.
