Spinach is a difficult pain-in-the-behind. I am a little south of you here in zone 6 and my spinach has been over with for quite some time. You get some of it to reach a certain size, and then it bolts quickly when the air warms up a bit. The problem, I think, is that we don't have a long enough cool season for this dadblasted vegetable to be happy. Try growing some in the Fall, harvest what you can, and let the frost kill it off, then watch it re-emerge in the Spring (like a miracle it comes back even though it looks completely dead). I do that with Bloomsdale, and it is the best I have been able to do with spinach because at least I get a couple of clippings of large leaves before it bolts. Since the harvest period is very short, plant a lot of it.

I am originally from MA now in NC zone 7. We grow spinach here starting in March direct sowing. I just tilled mine in last week. The heat will definitly make it bolt. I just planted some more last week in a raised bed in semi shade. I would also take the other members advice who said to try it in the Fall. It likes cool if not cold temps.

I grew some last Fall and when it got to hard frost/light freeze point I covered it heavy with straw mulch and it made it all the way through Winter into Spring. Straw mulch helps keep it moist and cool in heat of late Spring.

Hope some of this helps.
Susan in NC

I started spinach indoors on March 1, planted out under row covers in early April, and had good sized plants by late April. That gave me about six weeks of spring harvest. A cooler spring might have stretched it a bit longer into June.

My spinach has yet to bolt. Granted, we have had a very cool and wet spring. Only a few days so far in the 80's or low 90's. And it even rains on days when they say it's not supposed to. This is my first year gardening, so maybe I just got lucky! I planted on May 4th. I know it was late but this year is all experimental anyway. I'll be happy with whatever I get.

If you have trouble with heat triggering bolting, Mister, imagine living in Arizona. I don't live in AZ but in the arid interior of the Wild West nonetheless. Having good growing weather for spinach for very many days isn't likely. What helps is the availability of an appropriate variety.

The best I've found after quite a few years of disappointments has been Unipack 151. Hate the name but when they claim it is slow-bolting, they pretty much mean it.

AZ researchers note 4 varieties commonly grown on Arizona farms (information linked below). Of these varieties, the only one that I know I can find is Unipack - Harris, Jordan, Osbourne, & Stokes carry it.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Spinach in Arizona

As mentioned above, your spinach is bolting because of heat. It is a cool season crop so plan on a fall planting for another opportunity.

Check with your state's Extension Service. Each county should have it's own Cooperative Extension Office which provides free publications and information for the asking. They will have valuable vegetable/gardening tables available specifically for your area determined by universities and horticultural research scientists who have collected data from growing those crops in your state. Your tax dollars are already paying for this service so you may as well get some use out of it.

Vegetable Planting and Planning Calendar for Missouri (download the pdf) complete with spring and fall planting dates (underneath the spring planting dates for appropriate crops), how much to plant per person, etc. They can also tell you the average last frost date for your area and ideal planting times for specific crops and varieties in your area.

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