In Kenya, spinach farming is carried out in different places. To grow spinach, you need to select certified spinach seeds that are free from diseases and pests. Several spinach varieties are grown in Kenya, but which one is the best? This post illustrates the best spinach varieties in Kenya.
The following are the six best spinach varieties in Kenya:
1. Ford Hook Giant Variety
This is a highly nutritious spinach variety with large, shiny deep green leaves with white petioles. It does well in a wide range of environmental conditions. It has a long harvesting period, maturing in 60 to 65 days.
2. Giant Noble
It is a variety that is a dwarf plant that grows fast but produces moderate yields. The leaves are mid-green, thick, and smooth with short periods. This variety takes about 45 days to mature.
3. Early Hybrid No. 7
This is an upright-growing, compact, and very prolific spinach plant. The leaves are dark green, semi-savoy, and large, with short petioles. It matures early (about 37 days), is highly productive, is tolerant to downy mildew, and has outstanding regeneration ability.
4. Bloomshade Long-Standing Variety
This is an upright, compact spinach plant with thick fleshy leaves that are dark green, savoyed, large, and with very long petioles. It is a vigorous and highly long-standing vegetable.
5. King of Denmark
This is a spreading spinach plant, very prolific and vigorous in growth. The leaves are mid-green, smooth, thick, broad, and medium-sized with long petioles.
6. New Zealand Spinach
This is a hardy, low-spreading, and branching spinach plant. It has numerous leaves which are thick, fleshy, dark green, triangular, and smaller than other varieties. The seeds are large and thorny, but they germinate slowly. It does well in hot, dry climate conditions.
It produces a large number of green vegetables over a long period, so it is suited for home gardens. It takes a period of 55 to 65 days to reach maturity and be ready to be harvested.
2 Main Types of Spinach
There are two main types of spinach: savoy, or crinkled leaf, and smooth leaf.
1. Savoy Leaf Spinach
They include Bloomshade long-standing, Early Hybrid No. 7, Ford hook giant, Melody, and Regiment spinach.
2. Smooth Leaf Spinach
They include Giant noble, King of Denmark, New Zealand spinach, Red Carnival, and space spinach
Ford Hook giant spinach is a Swiss chard variety of spinach that grows fast and is nutritious. It has a white petiole with large, deep green leaves. It is a bolt-tolerant variety and has an upright habit. It has a broader harvesting period of quality leaves and matures after about 60 days.
Amiran Spinach is spinach from Amiran Limited, certified and free from pests and diseases. This spinach is high quality and grows fast.
Baby Spinach
Baby spinach is a variety of spinach with flat, spade-shaped leaves that are soft and tender. It is young spinach that is harvested during the early stages of plant growth. This spinach is so clean and mild in flavour that the leaves and stems can be eaten raw.
Baby spinach farming in Kenya does best on well-drained fertile loamy soil with a PH of 6.5 to 7.0. It is planted in cool weather with temperatures of between 4 and 16 degrees Celsius.
Baby spinach is planted from seeds on prepared land mixed with farmyard manure. It is sown directly into soil 1 cm deep and 5 cm apart, covered gently with soil and watered well.
It is harvested once the plant has about six leaves, 40 days after planting.
