Hi,

I overwintered spinach one year completely by accident!

I planted some seeds a little too late for the weather. They came up and immediately got hit by snow. The winter was mild enough that they stayed green all winter but by spring, they were tough, leathery and bitter.

I now plant spinach and lettuce seeds in the veggie garden as late as possible when the soil is still a little workable. Normally they go in in late November. I water them well and forget about them. If the squirrels leave them alone, I generally am eating lettuce and spinach out of the garden in April - about the time the soil is workable enough to plant the spring round of seeds.

A final note - I plant the fall seeds in full sun but the spring lettuce/spinach seeds go into a veggie bed that gets dappled shade starting in late May. The dappled shade slows the germinate and growth but helps extend the season into late July.

Hope that helps, Nancy

I've had good luck planting spinach seed in August - the plant shoots down a tap root, which here, because the winters are so dry, is a big help. When it gets really cold, like late November, it seems best to cover the plants with leaves/grass clippings - again to preserve moisture, and it keeps them from 'burning' with the really cold temps.

In March, give them a shot of high nitrogen fertilizer and water them. Off they go.

The biggest problem I have is deer, who, in March/April will go to great lengths to eat anything green. This year, I've built a raised bed with wooden sides that I'll nail some fencing to cover them.