Winter greens: UNH researchers eye extended spinach growing season

Graduate student Kaitlyn Orde prepares to harvest spinach in February 2016. (Ben Hill/UNH photo)

DURHAM, N.H. - New Hampshire growers interested in adding spinach to their winter crop production soon will have additional information to help them select which varieties to grow and when to plant, thanks to a research project underway at the University of New Hampshire.

Becky Sideman, a researcher with the NH Agricultural Experiment Station and extension professor of sustainable horticulture production; Kaitlyn Orde, a graduate student in agricultural sciences; and Connor Eaton, a graduate student in plant biology, are conducting a trial in an unheated high-tunnel environment at NH Agricultural Experiment Station's Woodman Horticultural Research Farm to determine the best spinach varieties and planting dates for winter production in New Hampshire.

"The traditional growing season in New Hampshire is very short, limiting the period for local food production. Growing systems that allow for an extended period of production can help support agriculture in the state and supply more locally produced food on a more consistent basis," Orde said.

Although the research project is ongoing, scientists report they already have seen great variation in plant type and growth habit between varieties, affecting ease and pace of harvest. They also have seen differences in leaf size, color, and texture, leading them to theorize that some varieties may be better suited for fresh eating, such as sold a salad mix or used in cooking. They stress, though, that all are delicious raw.

According to Orde, researchers also have found that winter spinach production is incredibly low maintenance. Aside from harvesting and the occasional irrigation or pest control, it has been very easy to produce high-quality greens. Researchers have not encountered any major challenges this year, and the spinach has been very productive due to the warm weather.

"Purchasing regionally produced food supports local farmers and economy, can help maintain an agricultural resence in New Hampshire for future generations, and increases the availability of fresh foods. Local greens can be much fresher than those that have travelled across the country, and it may be that winter-grown greens have a longer shelf life than greens grown in milder climates. One of the things that we have found is that winter-harvested spinach is much sweeter than that harvested when the temperatures are warmer," Orde said.

Researchers are collecting yield, sugar content, ease of harvest, and average leaf size measurements from eight spinach varieties planted on six different dates from mid-September to early November. The varieties UNH is using are Regiment, Tyee, Space, Gazelle, Corvair, Renegade, Emperor, and Carmel.

This material is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 228522, and the state of New Hampshire.