Spinach is one of the most nutritious plants which is consumed by us. It has lots of nutritions and vitamins which are very helpful and give strength. We usually eat spinach leaves but it is not the only way spinach is consumed.
Spinach sprouts are also a very popular way to include spinach in a daily diet. And what if I told you that you can grow spinach sprouts at your home.
To grow spinach sprouts at your home you need to first take the spinach seeds and soak them in water for a day and then dry them out and then take a small sprouting tray or you can take a jar and saw the seeds into the jar and put it in a cool and dry place in indirect sunlight as spinach loves to grow in cool season. After 5 to 6 days you will see sprouts coming out from the jar.
Now you know what you need to do to grow spinach sprouts in your home but there are other things you need to take care of before growing spinach sprouts in your home. So let’s see it in detail.
What are spinach sprouts?
Spinach sprout is nothing but a spinach plant in its early stages. Spinach sprouts are the initial leaves of the plant growing after germination. These sprouts are usually 1.5 to 3 inches in height. Sprouts are harvested as they are very rich in nutrients and other supplements to include in the diet as a salad or eaten raw.
Can you grow spinach sprouts at home?
Yes, you can grow spinach sprouts at home. Spinach sprouts can be grown at home but they are not as easy as growing sprouts of other plants and need some care and maintenance. But if you do all the things right, you can grow a lot of spinach sprouts indoors or outdoors.
How to grow spinach sprouts
To grow spinach sprouts, there are two ways to do it. The first is indoors and the second is to outdoors in the garden. Both the methods are the same but vary according to the season. If you are in the winter season, you can sow the seeds in the garden and have sprouts grown as spinach germinates between 5 degrees to 23 degrees celsius. But if you want the sprouts around August or on slightly hotter days then you should plant the seeds indoors as seeds won’t germinate in hotter soil.
The preparation of the seeds is the same for planting the seeds indoors or outdoors. Spinach seeds come with a chemical coating to protect them from a fungus which can make them take longer to germinate in ideal conditions.
There are three stages in which the spinach seeds germinate. The first stage is of soaking up the moisture and then the second is growing cells inside the seed, and then the third stage is the appearance of sprout.
All the 3 stages need to be completed to have proper germination of the seed or you won’t see the sprout coming out of the soil. And this process needs an oxygen-rich atmosphere.
So to prepare the spinach seeds, wash and soak them in room temperature water for a day and then dry them out and store them in an air-tight container for a week. This will complete the first two stages of seed germination where first the seed has absorbed moisture and then the growth of the cell inside an airtight container. This will make the seeds germinate fast in the soil.
Store the seeds in the container for a week in a cool place and then plant the seeds into the potting tray or in small jars and put them in a cool and bright area. Don’t put the seeds under direct sunlight as spinach seeds germinate in cooler soil. These will germinate fast within 5 to 6 days and give a lot of healthy sprouts.
This method can also work if you are planting the seeds in the garden. The germination ratio will be higher if you plant the seeds using this method as seeds have already soaked up the moisture and 2/3rd of the germination process is already completed.
How to take care of spinach sprouts
To take off the spinach sprouts, you need to make sure of two things well. The temperature and the watering. Other than that, sprouting the spinach seeds at home is very easy.
- Temperature – spinach is a cool-season plant which means it loves to germinate and grow in the cool season, in the cool soil. So to get good, healthy sprouts you need to make sure you are planting the seeds in the cooler season where the room temperature in your house is between 4 degrees to 23 degrees celsius. After planting the seeds, don’t put them directly into the sun as it will heat the soil and the seeds won’t germinate well. Put them in a brightly lit area under indirect sunlight.
- Watering – watering is also important as you don’t want the seeds to dry out in the germination process. If the seeds don’t have enough moisture, the seeds won’t germinate or will take a lot of time to germinate and you won’t get healthy sprouts from it. Keep the soil moist throughout the day by lightly spraying the water.
Uses of spinach sprouts
Sprouts are very versatile and can be used in a lot of ways. You can eat sprouts raw if you are on a diet and just want the nutrients and proteins from it or you can make a salad and mix sprouts in it to make it tasty as well.
If you want, sprouts can be tossed with spices and can be eaten like that. Also, you can include the sprouts in other dishes or vegetable dishes to make them healthier.
Spinach sprouts can be stored in a refrigerator in an airtight box for more than a week and you can consume them whenever you want and include it in small quantities in your every meal.
Benefits of spinach sprouts
Sprouts are very unique and special as they are usually available all year round and can be grown anywhere in the world unlike other types of plants and vegetables. They are also very fast to grow and consume in just 7 to 10 days sprouts can grow and be ready for harvest and can be put directly to your plate.
Spinach sprouts also have these same benefits as well and can be grown very fast inside the house. Spinach sprouts are also a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. spinach also has magnesium, iron, and also potassium which are all essential for us. Spinach also reduces inflammation.
What does spinach look like when it sprouts
Spinach sprouts look like tiny oval-shaped dark green leaves. When the spinach sprouts the leaves are lighter in color but slowly it becomes dark in a day or two. The leaves are very soft and have a hairy texture. The sprouts will start to have leaves grown from the bottom sideways if you don’t pluck them after 5 to 6 days.
How long does it take spinach to sprout?
Spinach takes around 5 to 10 days to fully sprout. The germination of the spinach very much depends on the temperature as it is a cool-season grass. The seeds will germinate best in shade with the soil temperature between 4 to 23 degrees celsius. If the conditions are ideal then the sprouts will emerge in around 5 days.
Can I eat spinach sprouts?
Yes, spinach sprouts are grown for eating. It can be eaten raw or it can be included in a salad. Spinach sprouts are very nutritious and contain lots of minerals and vitamins. You can also cook spinach sprouts and eat them like that.
