Harp F1 is a versatile year-round spinach and a particularly good choice for protected growing through the colder months. The upright plants make picking easy and, when mature, produce smooth, dark green, pointed leaves with a gentle serration. Grow plants closer together for young, more rounded salad leaves, or give them more room and allow them to mature. Either way, Harp has great flavour at every stage.
Sow: from October to March with protection, or outside from April to September. Sow 10–25mm deep in pots or modules for transplanting, or sow in situ. Make regular sowings if you'd like a steady supply of young salad leaves.
Grow: during colder weather, grow under cloches or glass. Space plants from around 15–40cm apart, depending on the size you want them to reach. Harvest once the leaves reach the size you prefer; you can expect to start picking from around 6 weeks after planting out. Pick individual leaves carefully as the stems and roots are easily damaged, or harvest whole plants. If growing closely for young leaves, remove alternate plants as you harvest to leave more room for the remaining plants to mature.
Eat & Enjoy: Harp is lovely at every stage. Use the young leaves raw in salads and larger leaves for cooking. Spinach is traditionally paired with eggs, but there are plenty of other flavours to try. Garlic, mushrooms, onions and potatoes all work well, as do warming spices such as cumin, nutmeg and paprika.
And don't overlook fruit. Apples, lemon, tomato and even quince can all work with spinach. Yay, at last another use for quince apart from jelly!
Try Harp with pasta, chickpeas or lentils, add it to creamy or cheesy dishes, or pair it with fish, bacon or chorizo.
Save
