Days to Maturity: 35 to 50
A heirloom variety, Bloomsdale Long Standing is a broad-leaf spinach that's quick to come up and quick to harvest for baby spinach leaves. The plant is very cold tolerant, but it also tolerates heat better than others and is slow to bolt. Mature leaves are tender, fleshy, and heavily savoyed. They have a rich, sweet flavor with nutty undertones. Use fresh in salads and juices or saute. Bloomsdale Long Standing is also a popular choice for baking in spinach pies. Spinach is considered a superfood for its nutrient rich content. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B, and C, iron, phosphorus, and chlorophyll.
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach, a glabrous annual herb, is a member of the amaranth (Amaranthaceae) family. It has an upright habit and a fast growth rate, forming an erect basal rosette. Bloomsdale Long Standing is one of the most productive varieties and harvesting large outer leaves boosts production. Open pollinated, it produces seed that grows true to variety, ideal for seed saving.
Spinach grows best in sunny to lightly shady locations with moist, organically rich, fertile, well-draining soil, preferably with a pH from 6.5 to 7.0. Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizers, which may spoil spinach. Succession plantings every 2 weeks is recommended for continual harvest.
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, 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. But it can also be started indoors approximately 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting, spring and fall. It needs cold temperatures to germinate and grow, withstanding light frost and temperatures below 28°F. 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.
