Growing Spinach in Kihei

Matador

Spinach is a cold tolerant winter vegetable. In a 4 season climate it will grow under a row cover in the snow. Most Hawaii gardeners will tell you that New Zealand spinach is the only spinach that grows in the islands.

I've trialed 8 varieties of spinach and Matador was the only one that was tolerant of the Kihei winter climate. It grew lush green and beautiful spinach leaves all through the winter months and didn't show signs of bolting until April. 

Matador and Spargo
Both seeds were planted on the same day in February

The other varieties of spinach I trialed were America, Bloomsdale, Gigante d’Inverno, Merlo Nero, Monstruex Viroflay and Regiment. They produced plants that looked similar to the Spargo in the above photo.

The best time to plant Matador spinach is from November through February. Seeds can be purchased from Gourmet Seed and Seeds From Italy. 

Spinach grows best in the sun and needs daily water. I grow spinach in a container filled with organic potting soil amended with OMRI azomite, green sand and an organic all-purpose fertilizer. I recommend bi-monthly applications of fish emulsion as regular fertilizer helps to minimize the damage from white flies.

The biggest pest that affects lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, Asian greens and cabbage is the cabbageworm, a soft green caterpillar. It's the larvae of a white moth that mates from November through February. I cover the plants with tulle nets or light row cover cloth. I highly recommend covering these types greens and keeping them covered through February as these caterpillars will devour the plants in a short period of time.  For more information, see my post on Cabbagworms.

Growing Swiss Chard in Kihei

 

Chard is one of the more heat tolerant greens. When planted from seed, it grows best in Kihei when planted from October through February.

Argentata 2 and Broardstem Green

Summer Survivors

11 months from seed

 

After the plants are established, I let them grow for as long as they'll grow and still look healthy. During the summer, when it's too hot to grow lettuce, the young chard leaves are a good cut and come again salad green. So far, none of the varieites of chard I've grown have bolted and gone to seed.

Orange Fantasia

Chard grows well in a container with a soil depth of at least 8 inches. It develops a long thick root, similar to parsley, and grows best in full sun. I fill the container with a natural and organic potting soil amended with green sand, azomite and an organic all-purpose fertilizer.

Flamingo

The plants usually need daily water and twice monthly applications of fish emulsion or a monthly application of an organic all-purpose fertilizer. Regular fertilizer appears to minimize damage from white flies and leaf miner larvae.

The biggest pest that affects almost all of the greens in my garden is the cabbageworm. It's the larvae of a white moth that mates from late November through February. I cover the plants with tulle tents or a light row cover cloth over hoops. I highly recommend covering these types of vegetables as the caterpillars will devour the plants in a short period of time. Other smaller moth larvae also go after the chard but they aren't as destructive. For more info, see my post on Cabbageworms.

Umaina
A Japanese Chard

Chard and spinach are in the same plant family but chard is much more heat tolerant.

Broadstem Green seeds are no longer available from Seeds of Change. I've grown Riccia da Taglio and it looked identical to Broadstem Green. It's available from Gourmet Seed.

There are many varieties of green, red, yellow, orange and golden chard seeds widely available - seeds are categorized as Chard or Swiss Chard.

Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

Stuffed Swiss Chard

Ricotta and Swiss Chard Gnocchi

Pickled Chard Stems

Spiced Steamed Salmon with Chutney and Chard

(I make this without the broth)