“Red Kitten” Spinach – Five Reasons Why I Love it

1.  IT IS EASY TO GROW.

 I start my seeds in late October by broadcast seeding a 2′ x 4′ band and covering the seeds with a 1/2″ of compost.  I grow the seeds in a low plastic tunnel through the Winter months.

2.  IT IS VERY PRODUCTIVE.

I start picking at the beginning of March and continue every other day until mid-May.  It’s amazing.  A 2′ x 4′ patch provides my wife and I with enough spinach to have every day for two and a half months. I am careful to harvest just the largest leaves; about a colander full every other day.

3.  IT HANDLES WINTER TEMPERATURES VERY WELL.

Like Mache, “Red Kitten” spinach does well under plastic during the Winter months and begins to take off in late February.  I picked my first crop on March 7, this year.  Believe me, it is a gift to be able to eat from the garden this early.  By the time the “Red Kitten” spinach is in decline, it’s asparagus season.  Life is good.

4. IT PRODUCES OVER A LONG SEASON.

Yeah.  Like two and a half months.  As I mentioned before, I pick only the largest leaves every other day.  This method works quite well.  I do water and fertilize once a week, beginning in February.

5.  IT HAS GREAT TEXTURE WITH A MILD FLAVOR.

Red Kitten spinach has become one of my favorite greens.  It is great in salads, wilted as a side dish, added to soups, even paired with poached eggs for breakfast.  In addition, it is very nutritious; right behind kale.  It is high in vitamin K, Lutein, vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  I purchase my seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.