Strawberry Spinach is a very original fruit-vegetable. Its young leaves are used in salads or cooked, like spinach. The juicy red fruits can be eaten plain or made into jams.

How to successfully sow strawberry spinach

Sowing : Sow thinly in April or May, in a sunny position, in fresh soil, previously loosened with a broadfork. Place the seeds in rows spaced 25 to 30 cm apart, 2 or 3 cm deep. Firm lightly with the back of a rake, then water. You can cover the seed with a forcing fleece until emergence.

Care : Thin to 10 cm, weed between rows, and mulch to prevent weed competition. Water regularly. You can also grow strawberry spinach in pots.

Good associations

Spinach likes to grow near peas, broad beans, haricot beans, cabbage, celery, strawberries, lettuce or chicory.

Harvesting winter spinach

Harvesting takes place approximately two months after sowing. Frequent picking encourages the appearance of new leaves.

Preserving Spinach

Spinach doesn't keep well fresh for long. You can freeze it.

The enemies

Snails and slugs : Place slug traps around your crops.

Downy mildew : Do not treat with Bordeaux mixture, as spinach leaves cannot tolerate copper. It is best to use a preventative approach.

Leaf-eating moths : They cause large punctures or bites during the night. Use a biological treatment based on Bacillus thuringiensis .