The statement, “We are what we eat,” is becoming more and more popular and relevant every year. More and more people began to think about the benefits of food. And this is not only a tribute to fashion. The products that the food industry offers to the average person are stuffed with chemical compounds, sugar and other dubious ingredients. Hence the unprecedented surge in cancer, obesity, allergic reactions, etc. And, probably, every person once faces the question of a healthy diet. Many claim that healthy food is a luxury for people with a tight wallet. And partly they will be right. But only in part. To improve your body, you need to eat as much vegetables and fruits as possible, which are not so expensive. And besides, most of them you can easily grow in your suburban area, and some vegetables even on the balcony. Fortunately, our latitudes allow you to feast on fresh berries and vegetables almost all year round. Try to diversify your table with such a wonderful plant as spinach.
What is spinach?
This is an early-ripening vegetable crop belonging to the harem family. The benefits of spinach are invaluable. Firstly, it contains all the known vitamins: A, P, PP, K, C, all from group B and others. Spinach has no equal in iodine content. It also has a lot of easily digestible salts of iron, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. And spinach is rich in protein, copper and fiber. Many call this plant a brush for the intestines, which makes it an indispensable component in the menu of modern beauties. But these are not all the advantages of a vegetable. Still spinach is very tasty. From it you can cook an incredible variety of dishes. Dietary soups, salads, side dishes, and desserts are prepared from its leaves. Thanks to the organic acids contained in it, spinach does not lose its beneficial properties even after drying, heat treatment and freezing. But, unfortunately, this miracle vegetable is not as popular with us as in other countries. What spinach is very well known in the East. There it is so popular that almost no dish can do without it. In the absence of fresh leaves, ready meals are sprinkled dry. The taste of spinach is somewhat neutral, somewhat reminiscent of young nettles or lettuce. The leaves are very juicy and crispy. And, most importantly, this plant is perhaps the very first to appear on garden beds after snow melts. Sowing seeds every two weeks, you will provide yourself with vitamins until late autumn. But even if many have heard about this vegetable plant, not everyone knows what spinach looks like. And he looks like a well-known sorrel, only the leaves are larger and denser.
Spinach cultivation
As noted above, not all gardeners know what spinach is. This is due, rather, to ignorance, but not to the difficulty of growing this plant. On the contrary, spinach is very unpretentious in care. The only thing he needs is a soil with good drainage and a sufficient nitrogen content. Sow seeds in the spring, as soon as the earth warms up to 15 degrees. To do this, draw shallow (no more than 2 centimeters) beds and sprinkle seeds. In order for the plant's rosettes to be large enough, the planting material is not very close to each other. If the soil is moist, then the seeds are not wetted; otherwise, soak them in warm water for a couple of hours. Spinach loves moisture, so try not to dry the ground. And it is also worth noting that this plant is a good absorbent and draws in all nitrates, so try to feed the plant only with organic fertilizers and then in small quantities. From the first germination to eating a vegetable, no more than two weeks pass. If you want to get a super-early harvest, then it is worth planting spinach seeds in mid-August. And as soon as the plant sprouts, it will be necessary to cover the beds with a film that is not removed until spring. A couple of weeks after the snow melts, you can enjoy fresh herbs.
Spinach: benefits and harms
The benefits of this vegetable are obvious: a large number of vitamins and minerals makes it an indispensable component of our diet. But it is worth noting the harm of this vegetable. People suffering from impaired water-salt metabolism, as well as urolithiasis, it is strictly forbidden to eat it. In this article, you learned what spinach is and how it is useful. Be sure to include this plant in your diet, and you will certainly appreciate it.