When to Plant Spinach
veg · hardy · ~45 days to harvest
Planting time for spinach is set by your frost dates, not by the calendar month. Sow directly in the garden about 5 weeks before your last frost, as soon as the ground is workable. From there it takes roughly 45 days to the first harvest. Spinach is a hardy crop, and it keeps going about 28 days past a light frost, which is what makes a fall crop worth planting. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or find your zone by ZIP if you are not sure which one you are in.
When to plant spinach by zone
| Zone | Last frost | Sow | In the ground | Spring harvest | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 15 | Apr 10 | Apr 10 | May 25 | Aug 4 – Aug 18 |
| Zone 3b | May 13 | Apr 8 | Apr 8 | May 23 | Aug 7 – Aug 21 |
| Zone 4a | May 10 | Apr 5 | Apr 5 | May 20 | Aug 11 – Aug 25 |
| Zone 4b | May 5 | Mar 31 | Mar 31 | May 15 | Aug 17 – Aug 31 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 30 | Mar 26 | Mar 26 | May 10 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 21 | May 5 | Aug 27 – Sep 10 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 20 | Mar 16 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 | Sep 1 – Sep 15 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 15 | Mar 11 | Mar 11 | Apr 25 | Sep 6 – Sep 20 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 10 | Mar 6 | Mar 6 | Apr 20 | Sep 13 – Sep 27 |
| Zone 7b | Apr 3 | Feb 27 | Feb 27 | Apr 13 | Sep 20 – Oct 4 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 25 | Feb 18 | Feb 18 | Apr 4 | Sep 27 – Oct 11 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 15 | Feb 8 | Feb 8 | Mar 25 | Oct 4 – Oct 18 |
| Zone 9a | Mar 1 | Jan 25 | Jan 25 | Mar 11 | Oct 19 – Nov 2 |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 | Jan 11 | Jan 11 | Feb 25 | Oct 29 – Nov 12 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 31 | Dec 27 | Dec 27 | Feb 10 | Nov 8 – Nov 22 |
| Zone 10b | Jan 15 | Dec 11 | Dec 11 | Jan 25 | Nov 19 – Dec 3 |
| Zone 11a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
| Zone 11b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Mar 18 | Oct onward |
Dates use the representative frost window for each zone. Your own ZIP will differ by a week or two: look it up here.
Planting spinach in fall
Spinach sown 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost sizes up, stalls through winter under a row cover, and restarts weeks before anything can be sown in spring.
The timing rule is roughly 6 to 4 weeks before the average first frost. Planting earlier pushes soft growth that winter kills; planting later leaves the roots too shallow to hold through a freeze. The coldest zone where this still works on the averages is Zone 3a.
For the whole-garden version of this arithmetic, see the fall planting calendar by zone, and how to read and stretch your first frost date.
When to plant spinach in 12 US cities
These use each city's own NOAA frost dates rather than its zone average, which is why two cities in the same zone can differ by a week or more. Texas alone spans a wide range: in Houston (Zone 9a) spinach goes in around Jan 9 in spring and Oct 28 to Nov 11 to overwinter; in Dallas (Zone 8a) spinach goes in around Feb 1 in spring and Oct 13 to Oct 27 to overwinter.
| City | Zone | Last frost | In the ground (spring) | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 7b | Mar 30 | Feb 23 | Oct 9 – Oct 23 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Chicago, IL | 6a | Apr 16 | Mar 12 | Sep 16 – Sep 30 |
| Houston, TX | 9a | Feb 13 | Jan 9 | Oct 28 – Nov 11 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Philadelphia, PA | 7b | Apr 2 | Feb 26 | Sep 29 – Oct 13 |
| Atlanta, GA | 8a | Mar 15 | Feb 8 | Oct 9 – Oct 23 |
| Dallas, TX | 8a | Mar 8 | Feb 1 | Oct 13 – Oct 27 |
| Denver, CO | 6a | May 5 | Mar 31 | Aug 28 – Sep 11 |
| Seattle, WA | 8b | Mar 2 | Jan 26 | Oct 12 – Oct 26 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4b | Apr 23 | Mar 19 | Sep 6 – Sep 20 |
| Miami, FL | 11a | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
What to plant with spinach
Spinach grows well next to radishes, peas and kale. Tolerates the cooler, partly shaded microclimate at the foot of taller crops better than most greens. The full grid for all 24 crops is in the companion planting chart.
Spinach zone pages
More on growing spinach
- Cold frame gardening by zone
How a cold frame keeps spinach producing into winter, and when to sow it.
- Winter sowing guide
Sowing spinach outdoors in jugs in late winter, with no lights.
- Last frost date and what to plant before it
Why spinach can go out before your last frost, and how far before.
- Row covers vs frost blankets
Which cover buys spinach the extra degrees on a frosty night.
- Companion planting chart
What to plant with spinach and what to keep away from it.
Frequently asked questions
When can I plant spinach?
In fall, around your first frost. Spinach sown 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost sizes up, stalls through winter under a row cover, and restarts weeks before anything can be sown in spring.
How long does spinach take to grow?
About 45 days from transplant or sowing to harvest.
Is spinach frost-hardy?
Spinach is a hardy crop. It tolerates light frost and can go out early. In fall it keeps going about 28 days past the first light frost.
Can you plant spinach in the fall?
Yes, and fall is the main planting season for it. Plant roughly 6 to 4 weeks before the average first frost for your zone. Spinach sown 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost sizes up, stalls through winter under a row cover, and restarts weeks before anything can be sown in spring.
What is the latest I can plant spinach?
It depends on your first frost date. In Zone 6a, sow by Sep 15; In Zone 7a, sow by Sep 27; In Zone 8a, sow by Oct 11. Colder zones are earlier, warmer zones later.