Greens include leafy green vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and spring mix (leaf lettuce). Most greens are grown during the cool-season in early spring or fall in Texas. Some greens – especially kale – can withstand temperatures below freezing and can be grown all winter in many areas.
Grow it:
Varieties: Seed that is sold at your local nursery will typically do well for your area. I possible search for:
- Bright Lights chard
- Lacinato kale
- Romaine lettuce (red and green)
- Savoy spinach
Planting: Greens can be planted in rows or in one big block.
- If planted in rows, succession planting can be used. This is done by planting several short rows 10 to 14 days apart to evenly distribute harvest.
- If block planting, spread seed over a bed 18 to 20 inches wide and cover them with soil. This allows more plants to grow, but this method makes weed control harder.
Watering: Plants should be watered thoroughly each week. Do not allow the plants to wilt.
Harvesting:
- Spinach should be harvested when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall.
- Plants will continue to grow if watered and fertilized lightly.
- In hot weather, plants will stop producing.
Buy it:
When choosing greens, look for fresh, crisp, green bunches with no insect damamge.
Store it:
Loosely wrap spinach in a damp paper towel and refrigerate in a plastic bag. They should be used within 3 to 5 days.
Use it:
Spinach is often added raw to salads or as a cooked green. Check out the Spinach Pasts Toss from Dinner Tonight below!
Spinach Pasta Toss
Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes un-drained
- 2 cups whole wheat penne pasta, dry
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup reduced-fat Italian-style shredded cheese
Instructions:
- Combine the tomatoes, pasta, and water in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Stir.
- Cover and simmer on medium to low heat for 10 min. or until the pasta is tender.
- Add 1/2 of the spinach and simmer covered for 2 min. or until wilted. Stir.
- Repeat until all the remaining spinach is added.
- Serve topped with cheese.
Learn more!
Spinach became popular by 1806 in America and was first cultivated over 2,000 years ago in Iran. Spinach is free of fat and cholesterol, and is a recommended source of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, Folic Acid, and magnesium.
All information gathered by Aggie Horticulture. For more information about spinach and greens, or other vegetables, visit Aggie Horticulture. For a downloadable version of this page, click here.
