Today, the interest of dieticians and doctors to spinach is especially growing. After all, it contains valuable biologically active substances, vitamins B1, B2, C, D, E, K, nicotinic, folic acid, salts of iron, iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium. Its use is unquestionable, therefore I necessarily allocate for it a small patch. Growing spinach from seeds is not difficult, but there are some features, especially in the hot Kuban summer.
.- Vitamin spinach - planting and care...
- Spinach - good and bad
- What can I cook with spinach
Vitamin Spinach - Planting and Care
There are many different varieties of this plant with different shape and texture of the leaf. As a rule, varieties of spinach are divided into 2 categories: with smooth leaves and with corrugated leaves.
Spinach refers to cold-resistant plants. It can withstand even light frosts. Experienced gardeners believe that the best time for sowing can be considered the days when the lilacs buds. The growing conditions are similar to the requirements for growing lettuce, but its use in food is more universal.
If you live there, where the winter is mild, then spinach can be planted under the winter. I do not recommend it to grow seedlings, because it is very difficult to transfer.
.To get a high yield, I do so. I fill the soil with organic fertilizers at the rate of two buckets per square meter. In addition, I pour a half-liter can of wood ash.
Experience has shown that on strongly acidic soils, spinach often dies, and with a lack of moisture, shoots appear late, the leaves coarsen, the stem appears prematurely.
One of the best varieties of spinach, I believe, is a gigantic, early-ripening, high-yielding variety that surpasses Victoria, Zhirnolistny in all respects.
For continuous cultivation, from May to August, I repeat the crop every three weeks, introducing a fertilizer and wood ash for a new crop. But very hot summer crops can not stand. Therefore, in order to get a second crop, I sow spinach in a shaded place. It is desirable that the garden would still be illuminated by the sun at least in the morning, just after sunrise.
It is known that seeds of spinach are difficult to germinate, so before sowing, I soak them in a growth stimulant for two days.
Depth of closing cm, aisles do 20 cm. In my experience, I was convinced that the condensed milk slightly reduces the yield. And when thickened, it quickly starts to bloom, so in a timely manner, thin out the beds.
Improves the quality of vitamin spinach timely watering. Care for planting is simple. I use the infusion of wood ash (: 0). I carefully observe that the plants do not get infected with downy mildew or root rot.
I necessarily alternate crops, lime soil at the rate of 400 g per square meter, spray plants from aphids with tobacco dust.
Spinach can be harvested when the leaves are large enough - rosettes, at least should have five or six leaves. Cut the plants at or slightly below the soil surface. Two or three separate crops during the spring-summer season can provide you with a crop until late autumn.
.Some truck farmers prefer to tear off individual spinach leaves when they reach a 3 cm din to allow small leaves to grow faster. Collect the leaves when it blooms, I do not advise. They become coarse, the taste is lost.
Once, I decided to get my seeds. But, to my surprise, I saw that the plant has different flowers. Which ones should be left on the seeds? Began to understand.
It turns out that spinach is a dioecious plant. Therefore, male and female flowers are located on different plants. Seeds are formed on plants with female flowers, which are located in the leaf axils on peduncles of various length (or have sedentary flowers), and the flowers themselves with pestles (in contrast to male - staminate form paniculate inflorescence).
.The readiness of the seeds is determined by the ripening of the lower partia, the yellow leaves. Seed bushes are cut off in the early morning (or in the evening on dew). Testes testicles for two weeks, hanging beams in a room with good ventilation (under a canopy, on the veranda). After drying, the plants are threshed and the seeds are dried again.
↑ back to content ↑Spinach - good and bad
It is very important that its chlorophyll is close in chemical composition to hemoglobin. Dark green leaves with slightly bitter taste are low-saturated foods with very low cholesterol.
Spinach is low in calories, only 23 kcal is contained in 100 g of product. Those who want to lose weight can take this information into service. It contains twice as much fiber as other greens. And there is more protein in it than in beans.
As part of spinach, there is iodine, so it is useful for the thyroid gland. And it also contains lutein, which helps to improve vision, relieves eye strain.
.Spinach is a good source of iron. If your body needs iron, add oranges or orange juice to the salad - iron is better absorbed by the body.
Although practically all vegetables contain a wide range of phytonutrients (vitamins, minerals), including flavonoids, carotenoids - spinach can claim a special place among vegetables in terms of content phytonutrients. The researchers found in it more than a dozen different compounds of flavonoids, which act as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents.
From contraindications it can be noted a high content of oxalic acid in spinach leaves. Therefore, it can be very carefully used or even completely excluded from their diet to people with kidney problems. It is not recommended to use it for people with urolithiasis. It can harm those who suffer from diseases of the bile duct, liver, duodenum.
↑ back to content ↑What can I cook with spinach
With spinach, I cook cottage cheese pudding, stewed creamy spinach. Tasty eggs with spinach. Very much like chicken breasts with spinach, this dish is loved by everyone - both relatives and guests. To preserve the color of the leaves I cook it in salted water or scald it with salted water.
Do not wash leaves before storing. Wrap the leaves in a paper towel, put in a plastic bag, store in the refrigerator. In a plastic bag, they can be stored there for 5 days. But just before cooking, spinach leaves should be thoroughly rinsed under a stream of water, as they may be stained with earth or sand.
.The leaves can be frozen for future use. Frozen spinach is best not stored for more than 3-6 months.
