sloely

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Natural Remedies
  • Non Toxic Cleaning
  • Simply Frugal
  • Clutter Free
  • Grow Your Own
  • Simple Parenting
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Natural Remedies
  • Non Toxic Cleaning
  • Simply Frugal
  • Clutter Free
  • Grow Your Own
  • Simple Parenting
×

How To Grow Garlic

January 29, 2025 by Alice 2 Comments

A bulb of garlic split into cloves on white background
A bulb of garlic split into cloves on white background
[Read more...]

Easy Chuck Steak Recipes

January 28, 2025 by Alice Leave a Comment

Collage of 12 different chuck steak recipes
Collage of 12 different chuck steak recipes
[Read more...]

Spring Vegetable Planting Schedule

January 24, 2025 by Alice 10 Comments

Young woman planting seedlings in a garden
Young woman planting seedlings in a garden
[Read more...]

Easy Chickpea Recipes

January 21, 2025 by Alice Leave a Comment

Collection of 16 different chickpea recipes
Collection of 16 different chickpea recipes
[Read more...]

Growing Vegetables For Beginners On A Budget

January 16, 2025 by Alice 16 Comments

A picture of a woman in a vegetable garden holding a box of vegetables.
A picture of a woman in a vegetable garden holding a box of vegetables.
[Read more...]

Easy Bean Soup Recipes

January 14, 2025 by Alice Leave a Comment

Easy Bean Soups
Easy Bean Soups

Simple bean soups are perfect for those grey days after Christmas. They are hale and hearty enough for family dinners but fabulously frugal and easy to make from store cupboard supplies.

And this collection of over 30 easy bean soups has the best tried and tested versions of classic recipes from taco soup through ham & bean soup to Tuscan bean soup and pasta e fagioli.

There are soup recipes here for whatever beans you have in the pantry from cannellini and navy to black, borlotti, butter, lima and kidney bean.

So if you are after tasty bean soups you can make cheaply and easily read on and do save for quick reference later.

Contents

  1. Taco Bean Soups
  2. Ham & Bean Soup
  3. Tuscan Bean Soups
  4. Italian Bean Soups
  5. Cannellini Bean Soups
  6. Navy Bean Soups
  7. Black Bean Soups
  8. Butter & Lima Bean Soups

Taco & Tortilla Bean Soups

Taco Bean Soups

Taco and tortilla bean soups make heartwarming family dinners but also deliver delicious leftovers if there is just the two of you or you are on your own :

  • Easy Taco Bean Soup
  • Meat Free Taco Soup
  • Creamy Taco Soup
  • Slow Cooker Taco Bean Soup
  • Chicken Tortilla Bean Soup
  • Meat Free Tortilla Bean Soup

These bean soups are obviously amazing with all your favourite taco toppings but are still great as they are if you are after more frugal food options.

Easy Taco Bean Soup

Easy Taco Bean Soup - Tastes Better From Scratch

This easy taco soup made with ground beef, lamb or turkey from the freezer is ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.

Time To Table : 25 minutes

Ingredients : 1lb/450 ground meat, kidney beans, black beans, corn, green chillies, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, onion, garlic, oregano, chilli, cumin, paprika.

Meat Free Taco Soup

Meat Free Taco Bean Soup - I Heart Vegetables

If you are vegetarian or don't have any ground meat in whip up this meat free taco bean soup to serve with all your favourite taco toppings.

Time To Table : 40 minutes

Ingredients : Pinto beans, black beans, corn, crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, taco seasoning PLUS avocado, cheese, sour cream etc.

Creamy Taco Soup

Creamy Taco Bean Soup - Salt And Lavender

This creamy taco bean soup has all the flavour of your favourite taco soup with a lovely rich texture from the addition of a good few dollops of cream cheese.

Time To Table : 30 minutes

Ingredients : 1lb/450g ground meat, black beans, corn, green chillies, cream cheese, bell pepper, onion, garlic, chilli, cumin, paprika PLUS your fave taco topppings.

Slow Cooker Taco Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Bean Soup - Life In The Lofthouse

If you are after a recipe you can slow cook try this crock pot taco soup with double beans plus jalapeno peppers or enchilada sauce.

Time To Table : 3.25 hours

Ingredients : 1lb/450g ground meat, black beans, pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce or jalapeno pepper, beef broth, tomato puree and taco seasoning.

Chicken Tortilla Bean Soup

Chicken Tortilla Bean Soup - Natashas Kitchen

Classic tortilla soups like this chicken tortilla bean soup take a bit longer than taco bean soups but make incredibly hearty family dinners.

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : 1lb/450g chicken breasts, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, chilli pepper, cilantro, tortilla strips PLUS extra toppings of choice.

Meat Free Tortilla Bean Soup

Meat Free Tortilla Bean Soup - Feel Good Foodie

Vegetarian tortilla soup recipes like this delicious meat free tortilla bean soup are a great option for a cheap family dinner even if you are not vegetarians ...

Time To Table : 1.25 hours

Ingredients : Black beans, chopped tomatoes, quinoa, corn, tortilla strips, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, vegetable broth, tomato paste, onion, garlic, cumin, chilli powder.

To make your own tortillas for tortilla bean soups check out these corn tortillas or these super easy flour tortillas both of which can be frozen.

Ham & Bean Soups

Ham And Bean Soups

Ham and bean soups are a deliciously frugal way to use up all sorts of ham leftovers whether ham slices past their best, the end of a ham joint or ham bones or hocks ...

  • Quick Ham & Bean Soup
  • Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup
  • Navy Bean & Ham Bone Soup

Quick Ham & Bean Soup

Quick Ham Bean Soup - Cafe Delites

This super quick 15 minute ham & bean soup with white or cannellini beans is great for using up little bits of leftover ham that won't really tempt people on their own ...

Time To Table : 20 mins

Ingredients : Cooked ham (however much you have left), cannellini beans, stock, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, parsley.

Slow Cooker Ham & Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Ham And Bean Soup - Culinary Hill

Alternatively a slow cooker ham and bean soup is a wonderful way to get all the nutrition you can from leftover ham on the bone.

Time To Table : 4 hours 40 mins

Ingredients : Ham bone or hocks, pinto beans, stock/broth, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, cumin, paprika, thyme, bay leaf.

Navy Bean & Ham Bone Soup

Navy Bean And Ham Bone Soup - A Spicy Perspective

If you don't have a slow cooker or crock pot you can still make a great ham bone & bean soup that gets every last nutrient out of your ham bone and leftovers ...

Time To Table : 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients : Ham bone & scraps, navy beans, onion, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, thyme.

Tuscan Bean Soups

Tuscan White Bean Soups

Classic Tuscan bean soups are another heartwarming option that can be either fabulously frugal or fancy enough for dinner with guests ...

  • Quick Tuscan Bean Soup
  • Tuscan Bean Soup With Wine
  • Dutch Oven Tuscan Bean Soup
  • Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Soup
  • Classic Tuscan Ribollita

Quick Tuscan Bean Soup

Quick Tuscan White Bean Soup - The Big Mans World

This quick Tuscan white bean soup is restaurant style but with no meat or wine it's a budget friendly option ...

Time To Table : 26 mins

Ingredients : Cannellini beans, kale, broth, shallots, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato paste, mix of Italian herbs e.g. rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil (or whatever you've got), red pepper flakes.

Tuscan Bean Soup With Wine

Tuscan White Bean Soup With White Wine - Eat With Clarity

If you do want a Tuscan white bean soup with wine try this version which is still ready in 30 minutes ...

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : Cannellini beans, kale, broth, onion, celery, garlic, carrots, tomato puree, oregano, thyme, white wine.

Slow Cooked Tuscan Bean Soup

Tuscan Sausage And White Bean Soup - Daring Gourmet

For an even heartier version that really is a good meal in its own right try this Tuscan sausage & bean soup you can slow cook in a Dutch oven ...

Time To Table : 1 hour 45 mins

Ingredients : 1lb/450g sausage meat, cannellini beans, kale, tomatoes, potato, broth, tomato paste, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, Italian herbs of choice.

Creamy Tuscan Bean Soup

Slow Cooked Tuscan Bean Soup - Haute Healthy Living

For a creamy take on a classic Tuscan bean soup try this recipe with coconut milk which might not be authentically Tuscan but still tastes delicious ...

Time To Table : 2 hours 15 mins

Ingredients : White beans, coconut milk, pasta, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, broth, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning of choice.

Classic Tuscan Ribollita

Tuscan Ribollita - Feasting At Home

For a more luxury recipe you could easily serve entertaining try this classic Tuscan Ribollita with bacon or pancetta and the added flavour of fennel ...

Time To Table : 1 hour

Ingredients : Pancetta or bacon, cannellini beans, kale, fennel, parmesan, white wine, tomatoes, stock, onion, garlic, carrot, red pepper flakes.

Pasta & Fagioli

Easy Pasta And Fagioli Soup Recipes

Pasta e fagioli - the classic pasta & bean soup of Southern Italy - really doesn't need a recipe. The whole idea is to use up any old bits of broken pasta, leftover veg, scraps of meat and cheese rinds bulked out with beans but for inspiration check out these recipes ...

  • Quick Pasta e Fagioli
  • Dutch Oven Pasta e Fagioli
  • Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli

Quick Pasta & Fagioli

Quick Pasta Fagioli - Cucina By Elena

This classic pasta e fagioli recipe you can whip up in 20 minutes makes a supper speedy but hearty store cupboard supper ...

Time To Table : 20 mins

Ingredients : Borlotti (cranberry) beans, canned tomatoes, pancetta (optional), onion, garlic, carrots, celery, stock/broth, parmesan, rosemary.

Dutch Oven Pasta & Fagioli

Dutch Oven Pasta Fagioli - Savory Nothings

For a super rich and hearty recipe try this pasta & fagioli with both bacon and sausage meat ...

Time To Table : 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients : Bacon, sausage meat, kidney beans, cannellini beans, pasta, red wine, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning of choice.

Slow Cooker Pasta & Fagioli

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli - Damn Delicious

Or for a version you can bung in the slow cooker in the morning and leave to look after itself try this pasta e fagioli with sausage meat ...

Time To Table : 9 hours

Ingredients : Sausage meat, kidney beans, cannellini beans, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, broth/stock, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, parmesan.

Cannellini Bean Soups

Cannellini Bean Soups

Cannellini are super useful beans for soup. I blend them up every week with spices and whatever sad and soggy veg are left at the bottom of the fridge for frugal cream soup but you can use them in all sorts of easy bean soups ...

  • Quick Cheap White Bean Soup
  • Potato & White Bean Soup
  • Cauliflower & White Bean Soup
  • Slow Cooker White Bean Soup
  • El Bulli Bean Soup
  • Leek & Potato Bean Soup

Quick Cheap White Bean Soup

Quick White Bean Soup - Budget Bytes

This fabulously seasoned quick white bean soup couldn't be cheaper or easier but still tastes special ...

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : cannellini beans, broth/stock, garlic, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper.

Potato & White Bean Soup

Quick White Bean Potato Soup - The Clever Meal

You can make simple white bean soup even heartier by adding potatoes and just a few more ingredients ...

Time To Table : 20 mins

Ingredients : cannellini beans, potatoes, broth, white wine, tomato paste, spinach, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary, paprika.

Leek & Potato Bean Soup

Potato Leek Cannellini Soup - Simple Veganista

Cannellini are also a great base for a quick leek & potato bean soup that again costs very little to make but still packs a real punch of great flavours ...

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : cannellini, potatoes, leeks, broth, tarragon, thyme, red pepper flakes

Cauliflower & White Bean Soup

Cauliflower Cannellini Bean Soup - How Sweet Eats

This cauliflower & white bean soup takes a bit longer but has a beautiful creamy texture lifted by garlic and herbs and a surprise French mustard topping to give it some extra zing ...

Time To Table : 50 mins

Ingredients : cannellini beans, cauliflower, stock, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, French mustard.

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Soup - A Beautiful Plate

If you want a white bean soup you can quickly whip up in the morning and leave on whilst you're working try this slow cooker white bean soup made with bacon and leeks ...

Time To Table : 8 hours 20 mins

Ingredients : cannellini beans, bacon, leeks, celery, broth, bay leaves, rosemary

El Bulli Bean Soup

El Bulli Cannellini Bean Soup - Recipe Tin Eats

This El Bulli bean soup is inspired by one of the most famous restaurants in the world but can be whipped up in under an hour with simple kitchen cupboard ingredients ...

Time To Table : 45 mins

Ingredients : cannellini beans, passata, hazelnuts, stock, onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme.

Black Bean Soups

Easy Black Bean Soup Recipes

Black beans are in my mind second only to cannellini for super simple - super tasty store cupboard bean soups you can have on the table fast ...

  • Easy Black Bean Soup
  • Black Bean Soup With Tomatoes
  • Black Bean & Ham Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup - Down Shiftology

This easy black bean soup is deliciously flavoursome as it is but you can easily take it to another whole level with your favourite taco toppings ...

Time To Table : 30 mins

Ingredients : black beans, broth, red onion, carrot, jalapeno pepper, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano PLUS taco style toppings e.g. sour cream, avocado.

Black Bean Soup With Tomatoes

Black Bean Soup With Tomatoes - Inspired Taste

This black bean soup with tomatoes barely takes any longer to make but has an added kick with chipotles or fresh jalapeno peppers ...

Time To Table : 40 mins

Ingredients : black beans, chipotles (or jalapeno pepper), diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, onion, carrot, garlic, broth, bay leaf, cumin, oregano.

Black Bean & Ham Soup

Black Bean Soup With Ham - Simply Recipes

This black bean & ham soup is richly flavoured from the slow cooked ham hock or shank with but also has a lovely creamy, caramelised texture from sweet potatoes, red pepper and molasses ..

Time To Table : 2 hours 5 mins

Ingredients : black beans, smoked ham hock or shank, sweet potato, molasses, red bell pepper, lime or lemon juice, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, cumin, chilli powder.

Butter & Lima Bean Soups

Butter And Lima Bean Soups

Butter beans are brilliant - like cannellini beans - for super easy creamy bean soups but can also carry off all sorts of great flavours ...

  • Creamy Butter Bean Soup
  • Garlic Butter Bean Soup
  • Thick Butter Bean Soup

Creamy Butter Bean Soup

Butter Bean Soup - Hungry Healthy Happy

This incredibly easy creamy butter bean soup is lovely on cold winter days but makes a fabulous quick lunch or almost instant store-cupboard supper all year round whatever the weather ...

Time To Table : 20 minutes

Ingredients : butter beans, carrots, broth/stock, shallots PLUS optional bacon

Garlic Butter Bean Soup

Garlic Butter Bean Soup - Rabbit And Wolves

This creamy garlic butter bean soup can be on the table in half an hour but is hearty enough to be a meal in it's own right. The recipe is vegan but you can just substitute back in real cream and parmesan if you are not ...

Time To Table : 30 minutes

Ingredients : butter beans, pasta, carrots, cream, parmesan, kale, broth/stock, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano.

Thick Butter Bean Soup

Thick Butter Bean Soup - Nadias Healthy Kitchen

This Middle Eastern inspired thick butter bean soup is strictly speaking thick enough to be a bean stew rather than a bean soup but with its fabulous flavours I couldn't resist including it ...

Time To Table : 20 minutes

Ingredients : butter beans, tomato puree, lemon, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, tumeric, bay leaves, fresh parsley.

Navy Bean Soups

Navy Bean Soup Recipes

Navy beans, typically known as haricot beans in the UK, are another staple bean for fabulously frugal soups that fill the whole family up cheaply ...

  • Bean & Potato Soup
  • Dutch Oven Navy Bean Soup
  • Slow Cooked Navy Bean Soup

Navy Bean & Potato Soup

Smokey Navy Bean - connoisseurusveg

This simple navy bean & potato soup isn't the quickest of the bean soup recipes in this collection but the extra cooking time gives the smoked paprika a chance to really work its magic ...

Time To Table : 55 mins

Ingredients : navy beans, potatoes, broth, red wine vinegar, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin

Dutch Oven Navy Bean Soup

Dutch Oven Navy Bean Soup -A Spicy Perspective

This Dutch oven navy bean soup recipe again needs some time for the cumin and pepper to give the soup its rich warmth, but it's worth the wait ...

Time To Table : 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients : navy beans, red bell pepper, broth, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper, bay leaves.

Slow Cooked Navy Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Navy Bean Soup - Kevin Is Cooking

This slow cooked navy bean soup recipe works its heart warming wonders with just a few cheap, basic ingredients ...

Time To Table : 4 hours 15 mins

Ingredients : navy beans, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme.

And there you go, over 30 easy bean soups you can make cheaply for healthy and hearty family meals.

Do bookmark or save on Pinterest for quick reference.

For more heartwarming frugal family dinners check out these bean, lentil & chickpea recipes and follow me on Pinterest.

How To Grow Spinach

January 7, 2025 by Alice 2 Comments

How To Plant Spinach
How To Plant Spinach

Spinach is a great addition to a new vegetable garden at it is a very quick growing vegetable, easy to grow for beginners and super healthy.

With very little effort you can have a bumper crop of leafy greens to cut and come again from spring to fall.

In this spinach growing guide I'll take you through everything you need to know to start growing spinach :

  1. Why Grow Spinach
  2. When To Grow Spinach
  3. Where To Grow Spinach
  4. How To Grow Spinach
  5. Growing Spinach In Containers
  6. Growing Spinach Indoors
  7. Spinach Pests
  8. Spinach Problems
  9. Spinach Companion Plants
  10. Harvesting Spinach

Do bookmark or save on Pinterest for quick reference.

Table of Contents

  • Why Grow Spinach
    • Quick Growing
    • Easy To Grow
    • Super Healthy Leafy Greens
  • When To Grow Spinach
    • Spinach In Cooler Climates
    • Spinach In Hotter Climates
  • Where To Grow Spinach
  • How To Plant Spinach
    • Sowing Spinach Indoors
    • Growing Spinach From Scraps
  • Caring For Spinach Plants
    • Watering Spinach
    • Feeding Spinach
    • Thinning Spinach
  • Growing Spinach In Pots And Containers
  • Growing Spinach Indoors
  • Spinach Pests
    • Leaf Miners
    • Aphids
    • Slugs & Snails
    • Birds
  • Spinach Problems
    • Bolting
    • Light Green Leaves
    • Bitter Leaves
    • Yellowing Leaves
    • Mildew
  • Spinach Companion Plants
    • Turnips
    • Peas
    • Cabbages
    • Garlic
    • Tomatoes
    • Strawberries
  • Harvesting Spinach For Salad & Cooking
    • Cut & Come Again Spinach
    • Main Crop Spinach

Why Grow Spinach

Quick Growing

You can start harvesting young spinach leaves just 4 weeks after sowing. New leaves will keep growing back so you will have a new harvest of leaves every 2 or 3 weeks.

Easy To Grow

You can grow spinach easily from seed in very little space in vegetable beds or patio pots and containers.

How To Grow Spinach Quickly And Easily

Spinach grows happily in some shade and can be grown indoors or to save space in a vertical garden.

Super Healthy Leafy Greens

Spinach is rich in immune boosting minerals like iron and magnesium.

The mineral content in freshly cut leaves from your garden is often higher than store bought spinach.

Garden grown spinach is often more tender than store bought so great for smuggling greens into kids food.

When To Grow Spinach

  • Spinach grows happily between :
    • 25 to 75 fahrenheit
    • -2 to 25 celsius
How To Grow Spinach - When To Grow Spinach
  • Spinach can handle light frost
  • But hates too much heat and will bolt and go to seed in hot weather.

Spinach In Cooler Climates

In cooler climates sow spinach :

  • From early spring to May or
  • From late August to September for a late winter - early spring crop.

In London, I often keep spinach going all summer by planting it in a shady bed or in pots moved into a shadier area of the garden.

Spinach In Hotter Climates

In hotter climates grow spinach crops over autumn and winter :

  • From September
  • Through March.

More heat tolerant spinach varieties, with less tendency to bolt include :

  • Malaber
  • FanTail
  • Indian Summer
  • Bloomsdale Longstanding
  • Catalina
  • Oceanside.

Where To Grow Spinach

  • Spinach grows in partial shade & full sun if not above 25c/75f.
  • Spinach prefers neutral to alkaline (7+) soil but is not super fussy.
How To Grow Spinach - Where To Grow Spinach

It's typically recommended to rotate spinach and NOT to grow it - or closely related chard and beet - in the same spot within 3 years.

This crop rotation boosts soil health.

If like me you have a small vegetable garden, you can rotate spinach crops through pots for optimal soil health.

How To Plant Spinach

Some gardeners pre-soak seeds to help germination but I don't bother and have never had problems.

I simply sow spinach seeds :

  • ½ - 1 inch deep
  • In rows
  • 2 inches apart.

Seeds sprout in 7 to 10 days.

How To Plant Spinach Seeds

You can plant a few seeds weekly for a constant crop but I plant all in one go and then harvest leaves at different points so I've alway got cut-and-come-again leaves available.

Sowing Spinach Indoors

You can sow spinach seeds indoors to avoid heavy frost but spinach seedlings are weak stemmed and fiddly to move compared with courgettes, peas or collards.

Growing Spinach From Scraps

You can re-grow spinach quickly and easily from spinach scrap roots.

Growing Spinach From Scraps

Simply put scraps in a little jar of water and once new roots and some stem have appeared, plant out.

Caring For Spinach Plants

Spinach plants are very easy to care for as long as you keep an eye on heat and 1 key pest we'll cover later.

The only other care needed is :

  1. Watering
  2. Feeding
  3. Thinning
How To Grow Spinach - Watering - Feeding - Thinning

Watering Spinach

Spinach does get thirsty, so do stay on top of watering, as soon as your seeds have germinated.

Just don't over do the watering!! Yellowing or wilting leaves can be a sign of unhappily soggy roots.

Feeding Spinach

Spinach does grow well in rich soil and you can feed it blood meal or fish emulsion but well composted beds should be fine without feeding.

Thinning Spinach

If you want to grow a single crop of big spinach plants, you can thin seedlings to 3 or 4 inches.

I grow spinach as a cut-and-come-again crop so constantly harvest fairly young leaves for the kitchen and don't bother thinning out.

Growing Spinach In Pots And Containers

Spinach can grow well in shallow pots and containers so can be usefully squeezed into all sorts of ledges around a backyard or patio.

You can even grow spinach in a vertical vegetable garden like this :

Vertical vegetable garden

To grow spinach in containers :

  • Pick pots at least 15cm/6in deep.
  • Plant in rich compost.
  • Stay on top of watering.
  • Move pots into shade if sun too hot as the weather warms up.

If you are starting a vegetable garden on a budget you could grow baby spinach in an old cream tub.

Growing Spinach Indoors

You can grow baby spinach indoors if you can give it a window spot with lots of light that won't get too hot.

Just make sure your pot drains well into a tray of some sort so you can keep the spinach well watered without the roots getting too soggy.

Spinach Pests

Spinach doesn't suffer too badly with pests and it is possible to control them gardening organically.

How To Grow Your Own Spinach Easily

Spinach pests to be aware of are:

  1. Leaf Miners
  2. Aphids
  3. Slugs & Snails
  4. Birds

Leaf Miners

Leaf miners are the big spinach pest.

The tell tale signs of leaf miners in spinach are silvery grey trails and areas of rotting blackened leaf.

Spinach Leaf Miner Treatment

The damage is called by the black fly larvae burrowing through leaves.

The best ways to prevent and control leaf miner damage to spinach are :

  1. Cover plants with fine netting, (butterfly nets not fine enough).
  2. Snip out first signs of any silver trails with fine scissors.
  3. Remove damaged leaves.
  4. Look for tiny bright white grain like eggs on underside of spinach leaves and remove manually.
Leaf Miner Eggs On Spinach Leaves

Aphids

Aphids are not typically as much of a problem for spinach as for other leafy greens e.g. chard or collards.

But you can get aphid infestations that suck moisture from plants.

Aphids will often be herded onto vegetables by ants who protect the aphids from natural predators.

Growing Your Own Spinach

The best simple natural ways to protect spinach from aphids are :

  1. Plant garlic to keep aphids away.
  2. Spray infected leaves with water and a little low chemical dish soap.
  3. Get rid of ant nests near vegetable beds with natural ant killers.

Slugs & Snails

Slugs and snails love all young green plants so use these slug & snail repellent tips to stop them wolfing down your spinach plants.

How To Keep Slugs And Snails Off Your Vegetable Garden

Birds

Keep crows & magpies off spinach with old DVD reflectors on tripods.

Spinach Problems

Spinach really is very easy to grow for beginner vegetables gardeners and there are just a few common problems to be aware of :

  1. Bolting
  2. Light Green Leaves
  3. Bitter Leaves
  4. Yellowing Leaves
  5. Mildew

Bolting

Spinach will send up flower stalks instead of leaves & go to seed if the plants lack water or get too hot.

If you are gardening in a cool climate and have a maverick hot spring, you can usually save spinach plants from bolting by moving them, in pots if necessary, into a shadier spot.

Light Green Leaves

Spinach leaves should be dark green. Lighter green leaves can be a sign that the soil isn't rich enough and needs additional feeding.

How To Grow Your Own Spinach Quickly And Easily

Bitter Leaves

Bitter spinach leaves are another sign soil isn't rich enough but can be remedied in the kitchen with cream!

Yellowing Leaves

Yellowing leaves can be a sign of poor soil but also of over watering.

Mildew

Mildew on spinach is a sign the plants don't have enough space. If you are growing full size spinach plants rather than cut-and-come-again young leaves, you should thin plants so a good 3-4 inches apart.

Spinach Companion Plants

Spinach releases anti-fungal and anti-bacterial fluid into soil that can be valuable for other plants.

Spinach can be a particularly good companion plant to grow with:

  1. Turnips
  2. Peas
  3. Cabbages & Collard Greens
  4. Garlic
  5. Tomatoes
  6. Strawberries

Turnips

Growing turnip greens amongst spinach is a great way to feed soil for a bumper spinach crop.

Growing Turnip Greens

Peas

Growing peas and spinach together is very efficient use of space in a small vegetable garden and the peas will feed nitrogen to the spinach.

Growing peas with kids

Cabbages

Cabbages including collard greens can be interplanted with spinach.

Growing Collard Greens From Scraps And Stems

Garlic

Growing garlic as a companion plant can protect spinach from aphids.

Garlic Companion Planting Chart

Tomatoes

Spinach can be grown ahead of tomatoes in cool months to improve soil health as tomatoes are vulnerable to fungal disease.

Tomatoes then in turn provide shade for spinach growing underneath.

Strawberries

Strawberries and spinach are traditionally grown together to get better crops from both.

Harvesting Spinach For Salad & Cooking

How To Harvest Spinach

Spinach really is quick growing and you can start harvesting spinach leaves just 4 weeks after planting.

If you harvest spinach by cutting the bottom of stems, new stems grow.

This means we can grow and harvest spinach in two different ways :

  • Cut & Come Again
  • Main Crop

Cut & Come Again Spinach

You can eat cut-and-come-again spinach fresh from the garden week in, week out for months.

Harvesting Cut And Come Again Spinach Leaves

From 4 weeks, I cut young leaves from alternate plants to create optimum space for new growth.

Some people suggest harvesting spinach first thing but we cut the biggest leaves available just before cooking for optimum nutrition.

Main Crop Spinach

If you have more space in your vegetable garden, you can grow big spinach plants for harvesting and freezing at the end of the season.

Remove whole plants when thinning early in the season rather than cutting off stems, to stop growth.

To remove soil and creatures, sloosh spinach around in a big bowl of water, then drain leaves using the water for watering other plants.

And there you go, lots of tips to grow spinach easily as a new gardener.

I hope they give you a bumper crop.

Do bookmark or save on Pinterest to come back to.

For more simple gardening tips check out my other grow your own posts and follow me on Pinterest.

Original images by sloely.com

How To Grow Your Own Mushrooms

January 5, 2025 by Alice 8 Comments

Growing mushrooms with kids - a lovely simple gardening activity that lets kids explore the science of fungi #gardening #gardenwithkids #mushrooms #plants #fungi #science #STEM
Growing mushrooms with kids - a lovely simple gardening activity that lets kids explore the science of fungi #gardening #gardenwithkids #mushrooms #plants #fungi #science #STEM
[Read more...]

101 Things To Stop Buying

December 27, 2024 by Alice 7 Comments

Things To Stop Buying To Save Money & Cut Waste
Things To Stop Buying To Save Money & Cut Waste
[Read more...]

Natural Cough Syrups & Remedies

December 27, 2024 by Alice 4 Comments

Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
[Read more...]
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • …
  • 48
  • Next Page »
Sloely

Welcome!

I am a London mother sharing the surprisingly simple remedies that truly can transform the health and happiness of family life ...

More about me

Practical Parenting

Simple ways to help your family thrive ...

  • Slower Happier Parenting
  • How To Build Kids Confidence, Independence & Self Esteem
    How To Build Kids Confidence
  • Balancing Activities For Kids
    Balancing Activities For Kids
  • Classic Old Fashioned Party Games For Kids Indoors And Outdoors
    Classic Children's Party Games

Natural Skincare

Super quick home treatments for skincare problems you can whip up fast from natural ingredients in your kitchen cupboards ...

  • Natural Cold Sore Remedies
  • Natural DIY Dandruff Remedies
    DIY Natural Dandruff Treatments
  • Woman wearing blackhead removal mask
    Gentle Blackhead Removal Treatments
  • Diet Changes For Acne
    Treating Acne With Diet

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Sloely