Nutritionists around the world rank spinach as one of the five most healthy foods. In our country it is not as popular as in European countries, where it was brought from the Middle East. The French call spinach "the king", a broom for the stomach and plant it wherever it is possible. Most of the US population use it almost every day.
Spinach is not so popular in our country. What is the use of this green leafy vegetable and how to grow it yourself?
The benefits and healing properties of spinach
This vegetable does not have such a bright taste as we are familiar tomatoes, eggplant, bell pepper. In addition, he has not such a long shelf life, like other greens. The benefits of spinach cover all these disadvantages.
It includes Vitamin C, provitamin A, magnesium, potassium, carotenoids, folate, vitamin K. Let us examine the benefits of spinach in its constituent vitamins and trace elements:
- Carotenoids are not often found in foods, but are an important trace element for maintaining sharp eyesight for many years.
- Folate affects the development of blood cells and tissues. Beneficial effect on the process of blood formation and cell renewal. Folate is also involved in the prevention of stroke, normalizing blood pressure and strengthening the walls of blood vessels. Recent studies by American scientists have confirmed that folate stops the formation of cancer cells. The use of spinach in food dramatically reduces the risk of lung cancer in smokers who abruptly quit this habit.
- Beta-carotene, which is part of the vegetable, also has a beneficial effect on the heart.
- Riboflavin (vitamin B12) and fiber are active participants in the process of splitting proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Learn how to grow beets at their summer cottage.
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Learn how to grow beets at their summer cottage.Variety of Spinach Varieties
The most common are several varieties of spinach, they differ in the period of sowing and growing, the shape of the leaves:
Victoria - late-ripening variety (about 40 days), best suited for sowing in early spring.
Virofle - early ripe grade (about 30 days). It has slightly corrugated leaves. Cultivated in early spring.
Godry - it is ideal both for open, and for the protected soil. Early ripe variety. The growing season is about 30-35 days. Used for late summer crops.
Leafy - takes about 28-30 days from full germination to maturity. Suitable for cultivation in open ground and under film shelters. It has juicy green leaves oval. The variety is recommended for cooking side dishes and salads, and for freezing.
Gigantic - an early ripe grade, has weakly bubbly leaves. Leaf shape - elongated oval. Ideal for canning. Grown in early spring.
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Diseases and pests of red currants on our website.Planting and growing spinach
Spinach is ideal for well-loosened, rich in organic matter, fertile soil. Most preferable is fertile sandy loam and loam. It is worth paying attention to the acidity of the soil.
When planting on strongly acidic soils, the plant will die. When grown on heavy soils requires the application of organic fertilizers.
Land preparation for planting
The natural fertility of the soil can be enriched by the application of organic and mineral fertilizers. In the autumn, when digging the ground, it will be good to introduce humus or decomposed manure, potash and phosphate fertilizers.
Taking into account the short growing season of spinach and the tendency to accumulation of nitrates, feed with nitrogen only when necessary.
Sowing
Vegetable spinach is cultivated most often in open ground. The beds begin to cook in the fall, when fertilizers are applied. Spring plot should be cultivated and leveled. Sowing is done in several terms. To get early spinach, it is required to sow it before winter, from the end of August to the end of September. In the spring, after the snow melts, the spinach will continue to grow and in two weeks it will be ready to eat.
Care of crops
Be sure to thin out the seedlings, about 8-10 cm. Watering in dry and hot weather is mandatory in order to avoid premature stalking. Top dressing can be combined with watering. During the growing season, several loosening and weeding is carried out.
Harvesting spinach
Spinach begins to clean in the phase of the rosette of 6-8 leaves and finish at the beginning of the growth of flowering shoots. This leaf vegetable is cut at the level of the lower leaves.
Spinach leaves are well stored at a temperature of about +5 degrees for 5-7 days.
Fresh frozen leaves can be stored for up to 3 months.
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Basil, planting in open ground - note gardener.
