Is it Actually Possible to Grow an Indoor Spinach Garden Under Grow Lights?

Well, the simple answer is, YES! 

Grow lights are a great alternative to natural sunlight. It’s the second-best way to make sure any indoor garden is thriving, especially if your home doesn’t get enough sunlight or if you’re going through the cold winter months where sunlight and warm weather isn’t very accessible. Luckily, spinach is known to be a cool season crop and it grows best in temperatures between 40℉ and 70℉. Which makes spinach the perfect herb for growing indoors!

Are Indoor Spinach Gardens Worth It?

As far as I’m concerned, yes! Creating self-watering and self-lighting gardens indoors is possible. The good thing about indoor spinach gardens is that you don’t need to put too much effort into them since they exist in a controlled climate that requires little to no effort. These greens constantly have the ideal amount of water, nutrients, and ample light that mimics sunlight.

So, How Do You Start Growing Your Own Spinach Under a Grow Light?

It is important to make sure that spinach plants receive 12-16 hours of light per day and that the light is kept a minimum of 6 inches away from their tops when growing spinach under grow lights. This will prevent the spinach leaves from burning by touching the light bulbs. You should have the grow lights on for your spinach for about 18 hours everyday and turn them off for the remaining six hours. An excellent way to keep track of how much light your spinach is getting a day is to get an automatic timer for your lights. Your lights will be able to turn on and off when you need them to help your spinach thrive.  

8 Steps for Growing an Indoor Spinach Garden with Grow Lights:

• Prepare the soil mix. It should be a neutral pH soil with organic matter.
• Plant the seeds into the pots.
• Keep it at a cool temperature, especially if you live in a tropical climate. Avoid exposing it to too much sunlight, only for 4 to 6 hours per day or use your grow lights for about 18 hours a day.
• Water it regularly.
• Fertilize when necessary.
• Don’t forget to check for pests and diseases.
• Thin the leaves.
• Enjoy your harvest.

Instead of using this type of pot, I recommend using a pot that has a drainage hole and that is not made from a decomposable material such as the one shown in the image. Especially, if you plan on keeping your spinach garden indoors. This is an image of Baby Spinach a week after I planted the seedlings that sprouted the radical.

Enjoy Your Spinach!

A spinach plant can be harvested 45-50 days after germination, as the plant grows relatively fast. When your spinach leaves begin to look like this….

that’s when you will know that it’s time to harvest!

How to Harvest Spinach so It Keeps Growing

It’s best to remove the outer leaves of your spinach plant when harvesting them. Be sure to not take away from the center leaves. This allows the leaves in the center of the plant to continue to grow and thrive. This then allows your spinach to produce more leaves and continue to cultivate a bountiful indoor spinach garden. As a good gardener tip, when the outer leaves are the only leaves being harvested it gives your spinach the advantage of periodically delaying the bolting phase. 

Will Spinach Grow Successfully in the Shade?

Depending on the spinach type, you should expose spinach to direct sunlight for 4 to 6 hours per day if it is grown on a window sill or balcony. Even though spinach grows best under direct sunlight, it will also flourish in partial shade. However, in cases where you cannot get sunlight for growing spinach indoors, LED lighting is the best option. The light requirement for spinach seedlings is between 14 and 15 hours per day, while the light requirement for spinach plants when they are adults is between 8 and 10 hours per day.

And there You Have It!

Know you know that it is in fact possible to grow your very own spinach with GROW LIGHTS! If You are interested in learning more about how spinach thrives indoors, I invite you to check out the article down below…

The 5 Mistakes You’re Making with Your Spinach Sprouts (And How to Fix Dying Spinach)

If you’re like most people, you probably think of spinach as a healthy leafy green vegetable that’s good for you. And you’re right! Spinach is packed with nutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamins A and K. But did you know that spinach also makes an excellent herb for indoor gardening?

Read More…