Lizard Spinach Seeds

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• This cool-season plant does best in cool temperatures. In Zones 9 and 10, it is happiest in the winter and early spring, during the rainy season. Row cover and shade cloth can extend the growing season. Spinach can be easily direct-seeded or transplanted out. It will not germinate well in high temperatures.

Zones 2-8

• Seeds germinate at low temperatures of 40° F but do not germinate well at temperatures over 75 degrees. Start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost. Plant out as soon as the threat of frost is gone and the ground can be worked.

Planting Lizard Spinach

• Spinach is easy to plant directly in the soil or into starter pots and transplanted out.
• If you are direct sowing seeds, plant in well-worked soil that has been deeply watered and is debris-free. Cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil.
• If you are planting seeds in starter pots, use thoroughly moist high-quality seed starting soil. Place seeds on the top of the soil and cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil.
• Fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer once your seeds have germinated and the first set of true leaves show. When the plants are 3-4″ tall, you can plant them out into the garden. If you are planting during a warm spell or in the warm season, crop protection like shade cloth may be necessary.

Growing Lizard Spinach

• Grow in full sun during cooler parts of the year. Some shade is fine during warmer months. If the weather is particularly hot, you can use shade cloth or row cover to protect the crop. Spinach requires good soil moisture. For Zones 9 and 10, this may mean hand watering daily or irrigating regularly. Adding compost before planting can help retain moisture in the soil.

Harvesting Lizard Spinach

• Harvest leaves as soon as they are worth harvesting. Snip with scissors and harvest often for the healthiest plants.

Growing Lizard Spinach in Containers

• Spinach is a great container crop. Make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much.

Southern California Pro-tips for Lizard Spinach

• Best grown in cool weather with adequate moisture in Zones 9 and 10.
• Mulch heavily around your plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up.
• Protect your crop during heat spells with shade cloth or row cover.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Spinach looks beautiful planted with gaillardia, nasturtium, borage, and alyssum.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue to spinach at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.

Growing spinach can be challenging in Zones 9 and 10 because of our warm fall and spring weather. Fortunately for you, we’ve trialed many spinach varieties to find ones that would grow fabulously in San Diego—and we found them! Kolibri, Kookaburra, and Lizard are exceptional varieties for growing in warm climates. Learn more about Growing Spinach From Seed in our Garden Wisdom Blog.