Spinach in Zone 8a & 8b
Spinacia oleracea
Yes, spinach grows in zones 8a and 8b. Plant it outside Feb 25–Mar 4. For a fall crop, plant out Sep 17–Oct 1.
When to plant spinach in zone 8b
Zones 8a and 8b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
| Window | Spring window |
|---|---|
| Start indoors | Not typically started indoors |
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Feb 25–Mar 4 |
| Estimated harvest | Apr 6–Apr 13 (~40 days after direct-sowing) |
| Window | Fall window |
|---|---|
| Start indoors | Not typically started indoors |
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Sep 17–Oct 1 |
| Estimated harvest | Oct 27–Nov 10 (~40 days after direct-sowing) |
Spacing: 9 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.
Fall window: the last sowing date is the average first frost minus days to maturity, the method in Purdue Extension's fall garden guide, which lists spinach for late-summer planting.
Plant alongside it in zone 8b
These go outside within two weeks of spinach in zone 8b, so one planting day can cover them.
- OnionMar 4–Mar 11
- CarrotMar 4–Mar 11
- CabbageMar 11–Mar 18
- LettuceMar 11–Mar 18
- BeetMar 4–Mar 11
- Broccoli Rabe (Raab)Mar 4–Mar 11
Spinach is one of the fastest, most cold-tolerant greens you can grow, direct-seeded a full month before your last frost, but it's also quick to bolt once the weather warms, so the growing window is short and worth planning around rather than fighting.
How spinach fits zone 8's season
Zone 8b's frost-free window runs about 230 days, from March 25 to November 10. Spinach needs about 40 days from sowing to first harvest.
Spinach planting windows in every zone
Zone 8b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2bSpring window | Not usually | Apr 22–Apr 29 | Jun 1–Jun 8 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Jul 9–Jul 23 | Aug 18–Sep 1 |
| 3a & 3bSpring window | Not usually | May 2–May 9 | Jun 11–Jun 18 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Jul 13–Jul 27 | Aug 22–Sep 5 |
| 4a & 4bSpring window | Not usually | Apr 17–Apr 24 | May 27–Jun 3 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Jul 28–Aug 11 | Sep 6–Sep 20 |
| 5a & 5bSpring window | Not usually | Apr 12–Apr 19 | May 22–May 29 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Aug 12–Aug 26 | Sep 21–Oct 5 |
| 6a & 6bSpring window | Not usually | Mar 28–Apr 4 | May 7–May 14 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Aug 22–Sep 5 | Oct 1–Oct 15 |
| 7a & 7bSpring window | Not usually | Mar 13–Mar 20 | Apr 22–Apr 29 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Sep 1–Sep 15 | Oct 11–Oct 25 |
| 8a & 8bSpring window (your zone) | Not usually | Feb 25–Mar 4 | Apr 6–Apr 13 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Sep 17–Oct 1 | Oct 27–Nov 10 |
| 9a & 9bSpring window | Not usually | Jan 18–Jan 25 | Feb 27–Mar 6 |
| Fall window | Not usually | Oct 12–Oct 26 | Nov 21–Dec 5 |
| 10a & 10bFall window | Aug–Dec | Sep–Jan | ~40 days after transplanting |
Harvest dates are about 40 days after the sow or plant-out date.
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
Good companions
- Radish: Radish breaks up soil and matures quickly alongside spinach.
Where to buy spinach seeds
Botanical Interests · Burpee · High Mowing Organic Seeds (each supplier's spinach seeds)
Varieties we recommend, and where to get them:
- Space (F1): Rated by the seed company with high resistance across a wide range of downy mildew races (1-3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19), a smooth-leaf, all-season type worth considering where downy mildew has been a recurring problem. Buy: Botanical Interests · Burpee · High Mowing Organic Seeds Full notes
- Bloomsdale Long Standing: An open-pollinated heirloom, savoyed rather than smooth-leaf, that Cornell's disease-resistance factsheet lists as resistant to Downy Mildew races 1-12, 14 and 15. Buy: True Leaf Market · Burpee Full notes
See why we recommend these suppliers →
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing spinach" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
← Back to the full zone 8b calendar · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →
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Growing Spinach in USDA zone 8b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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