Photo: Rameshng / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

سبانخ

A cool-weather leaf crop: sow from October to December in a shaded, moist bed, snip outer leaves from December to March, and finish before the heat makes it bolt.

Mature size0.15–0.3 m tall, 0.15–0.3 m spreadGrowthFastSunSun/part shadeWaterModerate

Heat: 1 of 5

Salt: 2 of 5

Drought: 1 of 5

Shade: 3 of 5

Ease of care: 4 of 5

Use in a design Get it looked after

Also known as

The other names Spinach is sold and searched under.

Arabicالعربية: سبانخ
Hindiहिन्दी: पालक Palak
Urduاردو: پالک Palak
Malayalamമലയാളം: പാലക്ക് Palakku
Tamilதமிழ்: பசளி Pasali
Tagalog: Espinaka
Bengaliবাংলা: পালং শাক Palong shak
Persianفارسی: اسفناج Esfenaj

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Spinach behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

JJan

FFeb

MMar

AApr

MMay

JJun

JJul

AAug

SSep

OOct

NNov

DDec

Avg high °C

24°

26°

29°

34°

38°

40°

42°

40°

36°

31°

27°

Sow seed in a shaded bed

Oct – Dec

Aphids and leafminers

Jan – Mar

Snip outer leaves

Jan – Mar

Bolting as the weather warms

Mar – May

Sow seed in a shaded bed: Oct–Dec
Ministry calendar: October–December; BBC Good Food Middle East: October–March. Penn State: seed germinates best at 7–20°C soil temperature, so shade and dampen the bed in October and sow a short row every two weeks.
Aphids and leafminers: Nov–Mar
Penn State: aphids and leafminers are typical pests. Arizona desert data show aphids arriving each November and peaking in winter, and leafminers rank among the top UAE vegetable pests.
Snip outer leaves: Dec–Mar
Ministry calendar: 50–60 days to harvest. Penn State: snip the outer leaves at the base and leave the rosette for further growth.
Bolting as the weather warms: Mar–May
Penn State: at 80°F (27°C) spinach will want to bolt. Dubai's mean high is 28.9°C in March and 33.7°C in April.

Spinach has a short winter season in Dubai. Seed is sown in a shaded, damp bed from late October to December, a short row every two weeks, as the average high eases from 36°C to 27°C. The Ministry gives 50 to 60 days to harvest, so cutting runs from December to March, snipping the outer leaves. Aphids and leafminers need watching from November to March. By March, with the average high near 29°C and rising, plants bolt, and the bed is cleared for the next crop or the summer rest.

Meet the plant

Meet the Spinach

Meet spinach, the leaf that loves a cool morning. Seed sown in a shaded bed in late October comes up as a patch of small, dark rosettes, and by December it is thick enough for the first cut.

Its character is quick, thirsty and easily bolted. It likes even moisture, some afternoon shade and weather under about 27°C, and it will run up a flower stem once the days warm in March, so the picking window is a short, sweet one.

What it brings is the freshest handful of greens you can grow in Dubai, cut and cooked within the hour. Snip the outer leaves, leave the centre, and the plant keeps giving for weeks.

Spinach is a crop for the coolest months. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's calendar lists it with sowing in October to December and 50 to 60 days to harvest, and BBC Good Food Middle East's UAE guide gives October to March. Gulf News' winter guide lists spinach among the leafy greens that do well with some shade, and The Arabian Post (from The National) names spinach as an easy starter. Sown from late October, it is ready to cut from December, and the picking carries on through winter.

Temperature sets the season. Penn State Extension gives the optimum growing temperature as 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C), says seed germinates best in soil at 45 to 68°F (7 to 20°C), and says that once the temperature reaches 80°F (27°C), spinach will want to bolt. Dubai's mean high is 35.9°C in October, 30.7°C in November, 24 to 27°C from December to February and 28.9°C in March. So sow a short row every two weeks from late October to December, keep the seed bed shaded and damp until it sprouts, and plan to finish by March. Penn State also says spinach will bolt if the soil dries out, so keep the moisture even.

Sow seed half an inch (1.3 cm) deep and 2 inches (5 cm) apart in rows 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart, then thin to 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), says Penn State, which recommends rich compost or aged manure in the bed. Snip the outer leaves at the base, leaving the rosette to keep growing. Water the soil, not the leaves, because moisture on the leaves encourages fungal diseases. FAO rates spinach as moderately sensitive to salt, with a threshold of 2.0 dS/m, so use mains water and a low-salinity soil mix. Aphids and leafminers are the typical pests.

Design

Where to use it

Raised-bed leaf cropTrough or pot cropCut-and-come-again saladCool-season filler

Plant spinach where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade, which Gulf News says leafy greens enjoy, near the kitchen so the leaves are cut young and often. A trough or raised bed with a drip line works well. In March, a trellis or taller crop can shade it for a few extra weeks.

Lettuce

Another cool-season leaf crop with an October start, so the two share a bed, shade and drip line and make a mixed salad.

Coriander

A quick, cool-season herb with the same October–November window, which fits the same bed and the same watering.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering: Summer: Not grown in summer; the Ministry's window ends in December.
Winter: Water the soil, not the leaves, from a drip line finishing before 8 am (DEWA). Penn State says spinach will bolt if the soil dries out and that wet leaves encourage fungal disease.
Establishment: Keep the seed bed shaded and evenly damp until the seedlings are up, using mains water.
Soil: A raised bed of sweet soil enriched with rich compost or aged manure (Penn State), free-draining, with part shade. Do not use the garden's salty sand on its own.
Feeding: Penn State recommends enriching the bed with rich compost or aged manure and gives no further feeding schedule.
Pruning: Snip the outer leaves at their base and leave the main rosette to keep growing (Penn State). Thin to 10 to 15 cm apart.
Planting: Sow seed 1.3 cm deep and 5 cm apart in rows 30 to 45 cm apart (Penn State), from late October to December, a short row every two weeks. Give afternoon shade as the weather warms.
Pests: AphidsLeafminersFungal leaf diseases

The care steps and the full guide, in WhatsApp. You pick who gets them.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Sowing in warm soil without shade. Penn State says seed germinates best at 7 to 20°C, and Dubai's October average high is 35.9°C.
Letting the soil dry out. Penn State says spinach will bolt if it dries out.
Wetting the leaves. Penn State says moisture on the leaves can encourage fungal diseases, so water the soil.
Leaving it in after March. Penn State says spinach wants to bolt at 80°F (27°C), and Dubai's March average high is 28.9°C.
Using salty water. FAO puts spinach's yield-loss threshold at 2.0 dS/m.

Extra notes

Good to know

Penn State: spinach is day-length sensitive and will bolt in June even if temperatures are cool.
Penn State: the optimum growing temperature is 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C), and seedlings can handle much colder conditions.
Malabar spinach and some other leafy greens are also called "spinach" but are different plants; this page is about true spinach (Spinacia oleracea).
The Ministry's table prints the October–December window under nursery sowing, with no separate field-planting date.

Toxicity: Spinach is a normal food for people. The ASPCA's plant list for dogs has no entry for garden spinach, so we make no claim about pets chewing the plant; keep dogs and cats out of the bed.

Pros

Ministry window October–December, with picking in 50–60 days
Cut-and-come-again: snip outer leaves and the rosette keeps growing (Penn State)
Does well with some shade (Gulf News)
Small and shallow: suits troughs, pots and raised beds
Easy to start from seed in cool weather (The National)

Cons

Bolts as the temperature approaches 27°C, so it ends by March (Penn State)
Seed germinates best at 7–20°C soil, so October's heat slows it (Penn State)
Moderately salt-sensitive: FAO threshold 2.0 dS/m
Bolts if the soil dries out (Penn State)
Aphids and leafminers are the typical pests (Penn State)

FAQ

Common questions

When should I sow spinach in Dubai?

The Ministry's calendar gives October to December, and BBC Good Food Middle East gives October to March. Sow from late October in a shaded, damp bed, and aim to finish cutting by March.

How long does spinach take to grow?

The Ministry gives 50 to 60 days to harvest. You can snip outer leaves earlier from young plants.

Why has my spinach gone to seed?

Bolting. Penn State says spinach wants to bolt at 80°F (27°C) and when the soil dries out, and that it is day-length sensitive. In Dubai it usually happens from March, as the average high passes 28°C.

Can spinach grow in shade?

Yes. Gulf News lists spinach, lettuce and kale among the greens that do well with some shade, and afternoon shade helps through March.

Can I grow spinach in a pot or on a balcony?

Yes. Use a shallow trough or pot of sweet soil and compost with morning sun, keep it evenly moist with mains water, and snip outer leaves as they grow.

What pests attack spinach?

Penn State says aphids and leafminers are the typical pests, and that wet leaves encourage fungal disease. Remove weeds and water the soil.

Not sure how it suits your garden?

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