Official Kids Mag is specifically written for kids ages 5 to 12. It contains activities and stories ranging from kid heroes, cooking, gardening, STEAM, education, fun facts and much more every month.
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By Karen Rice | Official Kids Mag If you're going to follow Popeye's advice and eat your spinach, the good news is you can grow fresh healthy vegetables like spinach from the comfort of your own home, even in the wintertime. Spinach doesn't require much work or special treatment. You don't necessarily need a lot of space. If you have a windowsill, then you can become a spinach farmer! Plus, it's FUN to do!! how to grow indoor spinach You're ready to begin growing your indoor spinach garden. How do you do it? Here are some steps to follow. find a sunny window Find a window in your house that gets the most sunlight during the day. Windows facing the south receive the most sunlight, followed by those facing west. Choose a location that gets 8 more hours of sunlight a day. Although spinach can be grown in a sunny window, in the winter when days are short, you may want to add extra the light with a simple shop light or grow light. Use either full-spectrum grow lights or a combination of cool-white and warm-white fluorescent tubes. These bulbs will give your greens seedlings the right combination of light wavelengths and intensity to grow strong and full. choose your container Find something to grow your spinach in. You can use a ready made seed tray for this, or find a pot or container to plant it in. If you choose a container, it should be at least 6 inches deep. put in some soil Fill your container with moistened potting soil. Moisten the soil in a bucket or bowl before you put it in the container. You want the soil to feel like a moist sponge, but you do not want it to be so wet that water can be squeezed out of it. Alternate adding water and soil until you get the perfect moisture. sow the seeds Place your the seeds about 1-inch apart and no more than ½ inch deep. place your pot Place put your pot in a sunny place, or under your grow light. Keep the lights on 14-16 hours a day, not around the clock. Just as when they are growing outside, plants do best with a daily period of darkness. The easiest way to do this is to connect your lights to an inexpensive timer that will cycle the lights on and off. If your plants in a windowsill, make sure to rotate the pots every couple of days since once side of the plants will be getting more light exposure. Within five days, sometimes up to two weeks, your spinach should begin growing. water and fertilize as needed Keep the soil moist but not too wet. If the leaves turn pale green or yellow, give the plants some liquid fertilizer when watering. harvest Once the leaves on your spinach are a few inches tall, it's time to start harvesting. Harvesting is easy. Using scissors, just cut the spinach 1 inch above the soil line, leaving a few larger leaves in the center. Your spinach will grow back to yield another harvest in a couple of weeks. enjoy! sources: www.indoorplantsforbeginners.com, www.kidsgardening.org growing spinach indooRs 8 • march 2021 • www.officialkidsmag.com Name: Kids Mag 4 x 2" Customer Name: FLOWERS N FRIENDS Ad Number: 022821NWR5161 479-846-2137 www.flowersnfriends.com Best of Northwest Arkansas the We Deliver in Northwest Arkansas Looking For Spring? Spice up your winter with a splash of color!!