Spinach?

#1

One of my favorite children’s books is “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie,” the thesis of which is that feeding a demand leads to more demands.

So now I am studying Keto, and each day brings me new questions, challenges, etc.

I decided to eat more spinach within my carb allotment and this morning I read (the cookie) something that led me in yet another new direction (I want the glass of milk).

OK, so this online source said that unless you eat organic spinach, you are likely consuming a lot of toxic chemicals.

Now I don’t know anything about this source, its credibility, etc., but I do know that organic spinach is not readily available to me in my local store, and so the bagged (non organic but “washed”) spinach has been my green of choice.

So the next glass of milk: Can I grow spinach indoors? I have a window herb-garden which I love, and so another google search yields the information that yes, spinach (and a host of other healthy greens) may be grown provided there is sufficient light, soil, space, etc.).

So NOW the question is: do I have to locate “organic potting soil?” Do I have to locate “organic, non-gmo seeds?” And if so, where do I get them? My gardening center has lots of potting mediums (Miracle Gro, Hoffman, etc.), but none of them is labeled “organic” or “for organic gardening.”

This mouse has had her cookie (metaphorically – I’m not eating any sugar or flour) and now I need my glass(es) of milk.

Libby

(Wendy) #2

Yes you can grow it inside but I’d get a grow light because soon the days will be shorter and they need more light.
There is organic soil available. I make my own soIl with peatmoss and soil and manure. I have never grown spinach inside myself.

#3

Thanks, Wendy! Honestly, I don’t know whether I have enough space (in my big window areas) to grow spinach or other greens. If I am eating greens each day, I might have to do more inside growing than I have space to accommodate.

Something to think (worry) about!

(Wendy) #4

Don’t worry! It’s worse for you than the pesticides. :yum:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

If you can’t grow your own, be sure to wash the spinach well before using it.

(KCKO, KCFO) #6

It takes a lot of spinach to make one serving. Is there a grocery near you that carries organic produce? Or check for farmers markets, they may not have paid the fees to be labeled organic, but most of them are, they will tell you if they grow organic or not.

The containers, grow lights, soil, organic pest sprays and feeding formulas will add up quickly. You would need a large space. For small spaces growing your own sprouts is more reasonable. Lots of nutrients from a small space with those. Depending on where you live, you might want to find a community garden, many cities have them now, you rent the garden space for a small fee. It is kinda late in the year, but if you have a climate that is not harsh, you might find on that runs through the wintertime.

Good luck

(Alec) #7

I grow spinach, but I have a garden. My advice, go to the garden centre, and buy some spinach seedlings (I prefer baby spinach), stick them in some ordinary potting mix in a pot, find a sunny spot, and watch them grow.

Starting from seedlings rather than seeds is MUCH easier. Most of the hit and miss with growing stuff is germination. Once you have a plant, you have to do something pretty wrong to kill it.

And don’t wait to think you are doing it right, just do it! Most gardening is hit and miss. I am a great gardener (or so everyone tells me). The only reason for this is that I consistently stick plants in the ground. Period. No magic touch, no green fingers, it’s just that I love sticking plants in the ground and watching them grow! End result? A lovely garden, so everyone thinks I am a good gardener! :rofl::rofl::shushing_face:

#8

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Sprouts and/or microgreens. Fun and easy. Not as cheap as growing mature plants, but still fairly inexpensive if you shop around for seed. I grew micro pea shoots in college. Very tasty.

(Running from stupidity) #10

Which “organic” doesn’t do anyway, as you’ve said. It’s one of the great marketing scams, something even Apple would be proud to have perpetrated.