How to Grow Kale and Spinach

Kale and spinach both provide a reliable leafy green in the cooler seasons. In mild climates, where temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, both vegetables can produce through the winter. Kale and spinach grow well together in a combined winter greens garden because they share the same cultural requirements. The plants grow quickly, with both greens usually ready for the first harvest within 50 to 70 days. Plant fall crops when the average daily temperature drops below 75 F or plant for spring four to six weeks before the average last frost date.


Spread 1 to 2 inches of compost over a well-drained garden bed and till it into the top 6 inches of soil. Select a bed that receives full sunlight for fall and winter kale and spinach, or a bed that receives some afternoon shade for spring crops. The shade prevents the plants from going to seed too quickly when the summer heat arrives.


Sow kale and spinach seeds 3 inches apart and 1/2 inch deep. Leave 18 inches of space between kale rows and 12 inches between spinach rows.


Mist the bed with water to keep the top few inches of soil moist until the seeds germinate, which takes around seven days. Thin the seedlings after the seeds germinate and produce their second set of leaves so both the kale and spinach in the row sit 12 inches apart.


Weed between the plants once or twice a week so you remove weed seedlings before they have a chance to establish and compete with the kale and spinach. Hoe between plants to break up the top 1 inch of soil to prevent weeds from taking hold, or pull all weeds by hand.


Water the bed with approximately 1 inch of water per week when rainfall is less than 1 inch. Keep the soil moist but avoid overwatering and soggy soil. Add a 2-inch layer of mulch to keep the foliage clean and conserve soil moisture.


Fertilize the plants with a 1-inch layer of compost over the soil when they are six weeks old. Or, use a soluble vegetable fertilizer at the package-recommended rate.


Harvest kale leaves when the outer leaves are about 10 inches long. Harvest spinach when the leaves are 4 to 7 inches long. Remove only the outer leaves so the inner leaves can continue to grow and produce more greens.

Things You Will Need

  • Compost
  • Hoe
  • Mulch
  • Soluble fertilizer


  • You can harvest entire plants if impending heat is likely to force the greens to set seed. Once kale and spinach set seed, the foliage turns bitter and inedible.

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