Spinach farming in Kenya full guide

This is the spinach farming in Kenya full guide to enable you start and grow your spinach farm. Whether for commercial or domestic purpose, we intend to answer all the questions regarding spinach farming in Kenya in this guide. Before venturing into spinach farming in Kenya there are some of the questions you usually ask yourself some of these questions regarding spinach farming include:

How profitable is spinach farming in Kenya?
How long does spinach take to mature?
Does spinach grow back after cutting?
How do you trim spinach or harvest spinach so that it keeps growing?
What is the best fertilizer for spinach
What diseases affect spinach vegetables?
Spinach yield per acre in Kenya
How to grow spinach

HOW TO PLANT SPINACH

PLANTING

Spinach is a green, tender and leafy vegetable which is native to central and western Asia. It is normally eaten cooked or raw and has a very high nutritional value. Spinach requires well drained fertile soils with a PH of 6.4 to 7 and the ecological requirements for spinach are temperatures of about 4 to 16 degrees Celsius although they can withstand more harsh conditions depending on the variety

Spinach vegetable is first sown in nursery beds before transplanting. Nursery beds for Spinach are created by raising soil and creating Furrow like lines to sow seeds which are then covered with thin soil. The nursery bed should be properly taken care of by watering twice daily and mulching is also preferred to conserve the moisture on soil.

For about a period of four to five weeks when the seedlings have produced true leaves, transplanting can be done to the actual planting field or land. The land to be transplanted to should be ploughed and harrowed so as to bring the soil to fine tilt and to avoid hardpans which may hinder the growth of Spinach roots and the plant development

On the land where the spinach seedlings are to be transplanted dig holes to a spacing of 30 by 30 cm in uniform rows and columns. You should allow spacing between rows that one can pass when handling the Spinach vegetable. On those holes add farmyard manure while mixing it with soil. When planting in the rainy season go on with transplanting the spinach seedling one in each hole then cover it firmly with soil.

In a period of minimal or low rainfall, transplant the seedlings at the evening period and after application of manure add water in each hole while you repeat the same step of planting mentioned above.

After transplanting your Spinach seedlings on the farm regular farming practices continues for a period of about two weeks when the vegetables have adapted. These farm practices include;

Mulching: This is done by adding materials such as grass waste beneath the soil to ensure the spinach plant conserve moisture and also the weeds are suppressed.

Irrigation: this is done by application of water to the plants mainly in the evening to ensure frequent and adequate moisture supply to the spinach vegetable.

Weeding: this is done by uprooting unwanted plants that grows with the Spinach to ensure that pest and diseases are prevented and also competition for nutrients with plants are reduced and discouraged.

HARVESTING OF SPINACH

After around 5 weeks of transplanting, when your spinach leaves have attained the desired number of leaves, harvesting can be done as a bunch or individual leaves picked using a knife. The outer leaves of spinach are harvested leaving the inner leaves to mature and continue producing. In this 2 to 3 weeks is allowed for regrowth thereafter you can continue harvesting your spinach

MARKET

High demand for spinach vegetable has provided ready market for this kind of vegetable. It is important to note that spinach is highly perishable vegetable harvesting should be done with ready market or likewise, refrigeration can be done by placing stems on cold water to keep them fresh. Spinach can be sold in;

Open air market
Hotels and schools
Groceries and supermarket
Consumers market

Spinach can yield up to 10 – 30 tons (10,000-30,000 Kg), per acre under proper crop care or if you follow the well laid guidelines on this site fully.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON SPINACH FARMING IN KENYA

How profitable is spinach farming in Kenya?

Spinach can yield up to 10 – 30 tons (10,000-30,000 Kg), per acre under proper crop care or if you follow the well laid guidelines on this site fully. This shows how profitable spinach farming in Kenya is.

How long does spinach take to mature?

After around 5 weeks of transplanting, when your spinach leaves have matured and attained the desired number of leaves, harvesting can be done as a bunch or individual leaves picked using a knife

Does spinach grow back after cutting?

The outer leaves of spinach are harvested leaving the inner leaves to mature and continue producing. In this 2 to 3 weeks is allowed for regrowth thereafter you can continue harvesting your spinach after growth.

What is the best fertilizer for spinach

Spinach can be grown using organic farmyard manure as it is nutritious and cheaply available. If you can’t access this it is suitable for a farmer to find a suitable fertilizer rich in nitrogen

What diseases affect spinach vegetables?

Diseases affecting spinach include; Damping off and root rot, leaf spot, downy mildew, anthracnose and white rust. It is important to control these diseases with suitable chemicals with proper advice from an agro dealer

Spinach farming in Kenya full guide