Spinacia oleracea Seeds | Bloomsdale Spinach
LATIN NAME: Spinacia oleracea
COMMON NAME: Bloomsdale Spinach
Plant Profile
Spinacia oleracea, commonly known as Bloomsdale Spinach, is a species with a long record in gardens. Its open flowers are a reliable stop for bees and other pollinating visitors. Plants that offer this much while asking this little are rare enough to treasure.
Science & Biotechnology
Spinacia oleracea sits in the Spinacia group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Its long cultivation history has also made it a subject of interest within heirloom vegetable preservation research documenting historically significant American vegetable varieties. Gardeners benefit directly from its long cultivation: what the plant will do in a garden is well understood.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Bloomsdale Spinach for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. Its relative bolt resistance compared with many other spinach varieties gives home gardeners a somewhat longer harvest window before crop turns bitter in warming weather. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Spinach is the iron-and-folate leaf of legend, and though the Popeye numbers were overstated, its lutein, nitrates and vitamin K make it a genuinely functional green.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Bloomsdale Spinach, and the process is uncomplicated. Sow seed directly into a loose, well-drained mix at a shallow depth, keeping it consistently moist until germination. Cool weather suits this crop particularly well, and it performs best sown in early spring or autumn, since hot summer conditions will cause even this relatively bolt-resistant variety to eventually flower and turn bitter. A simple routine works well: sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, maintain even moisture, and provide bright light. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Among the Spinacia group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.
Related Reading
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