8 Best Organic Fertilizers For Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable often found in salads, smoothies, and savory dishes. Not only is it a nutritional powerhouse packed with iron, calcium, and magnesium, but it’s also a fantastic addition to your backyard.....PROCEED.FULL.READING>>>

Growing spinach requires attention to its nutritional needs to ensure a bountiful harvest. Curious about the best organic fertilizers for optimum growth? Discover the top recommendations for nourishing your spinach plants organically!

Understanding Spinach’s NeedsRows of spinach plants, lined up in a garden

Spinach is a cool-season crop, perfect for planting in early spring or late summer. With adequate sunlight and regular watering, it thrives beautifully. If your spinach leaves appear discolored or growth seems stunted, it may be a call for a richer nutrient base. The main macronutrients needed are:

Nitrogen: Makes up the plants’ chlorophyll, and is essential for water intake and plant growth. A deficiency will cause the leaves to turn pale and growth to slow down.

Potassium: Helps build drought tolerance, supports the photosynthesis process, and grows healthy roots. A deficiency will lead to purple or yellow leaves and browning edges.

Phosphorus: Necessary for root and seed formation. A phosphorus deficiency will result in dull, yellow leaves and stunted growth.

Plant-Based Options1. Banana Peels
A banana peel on the ground.

Food scraps can make great organic fertilizers, but are often overlooked! Banana peels are rich in potassium, phosphorous, and calcium — so don’t throw away those peels!

To begin, soak a cut-up peel in four parts water (1:4 ratio) and leave for two to three days so the minerals release into the water. Then use the banana water to water your plants once or twice a week until you are satisfied with the growth.

Watering your spinach with this tonic once a week is particularly beneficial as spinach requires potassium for various physiological processes, including enzyme activation and photosynthesis.

2. Epsom Salt
Epsom salt on a wooden bowl on top of a table

If you have noticed your spinach leaves are pale green or yellow, you’ll need to boost its magnesium content, which plays a role in seed germination, photosynthesis, and the formation of fruits and seeds. Epsom salt is a natural mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate that aids in the production of chlorophyll and promotes the efficient uptake of nutrients.

Make a topical application with 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of water and spray onto the foliage once a month. You should see the spinach become a darker green.

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Source: Pennington
Pennington Epsom Salt Plant Nutrient

Best Epsom Salt

Pennington’s epsom salt comes in a seven-pound bag that will easily cover hundreds of square feet of soil when properly mixed. It’s a great source of magnesium and sulfur for your spinach.

3. Alfalfa Meal
close up of alfalfa

Alfalfa meal and pellets are traditionally associated with animal feed, but they are packed with essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making them useful for gardening. Their rich content of trace minerals is a boon for spinach cultivation.

But what truly sets alfalfa apart is its unique component, “triacontanol,” which is a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant, and has the potential to expedite spinach growth, leading to lush, crispy leaves. For optimal results, apply every 6 to 10 weeks to ensure a nutrient-rich foundation for those vibrant greens.

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Source: Down to Earth
Down to Earth Organic Alfalfa Meal

Best Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa meal is a great source of nitrogen, potassium, and phosporus to help your spinach grow lush leaves. You only need about two to four tablespoons of meal for a gallon of soil, so this four-pound pack will go far.
Kelp under the sea

Kelp seaweed serves as an invaluable fertilizer choice, particularly esteemed for its rich array of micronutrients like iron, manganese, zinc, copper and boron. It’s available in the three forms listed below, which cater to diverse gardening needs (How often to use each is usually specified on the product):

Kelp meal provides mainly trace minerals but can be used in combination with fish meal for macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). To use, mix 1 pound into 100 square feet of soil.

Its counterpart, kelp powder, mirrors the benefits of kelp meal but is finely ground, allowing it to dissolve in solutions for foliar sprays or integration into irrigation systems. Mix ¼ of the powder into ½ teaspoon or per gallon of water.

Liquid kelp, usually cold-processed, boasts a higher concentration of growth hormones compared to the extracts above. Some liquid variants undergo enzymatic digestion, which amplifies the availability of these growth hormones to plants. To use, mix 2 to 3 tablespoons per gallon of water.
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Source: Down to Earth
Down to Earth Organic Kelp Meal Fertilizer

Best Kelp Meal

Kelp meal is an easy way to get essential nutrients into your soil, and it’s especially useful when mixed with other fertilizers. You need about one or two pounds for 100 square feet of soil, which means this 0.5-pound package will work for a lot of spinach.
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Source: Marine Magic
Marine Magic Seaweed Extract Powder

Best Seaweed Powder

You can also pick up seaweed powder to mix with water for an easier application. Each pack costs about $10 and can make more than 480 liters when mixed properly. It’s full of minerals that will make your spinach thrive.

Animal-Based Options
5. Vermicompost
Earthworms vermicompost in green bucket

Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer that comes from nutrient-rich waste products known as castings, which are excreted by worms after digesting organic material (such as composted manure). These castings, laden with essential elements and beneficial microbes, notably enhance soil texture and optimize it for plant growth.

When using vermicompost it’s best to embrace a “no-till” policy (growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage).

Vermicompost also contains “humic acid,” a compound that enhances the soil’s ability to retain nutrients, potentially leading to increased crop yields. For maintaining a thriving soil ecosystem, it’s recommended to add compost every fall and spring.

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Source: Sun Gro
Sun Gro Black Gold Earthworm Castings Compost

Best Earthworm Castings

Sun Gro’s Black Gold earthworm castings come in a four-pound bag and can be mixed with soil, applied on its own, or mixed with water for watering your spinach.

6. Fish Emulsion
spinach close up

Fish emulsion is a nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer derived from the decomposition of fish. It is especially high in nitrogen, which is essential for promoting vigorous plant growth and lush green foliage. This fertilizer is also a good source of trace elements — magnesium, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, and sodium — that plants need in minute quantities to thrive.

To make your own emulsion, combine equal parts fish scraps, organic matter like sawdust or leaves, and a cup of molasses in a bucket. Then pour in enough water to cover the mixture. Seal with a perforated lid for airflow and stir daily for a couple of weeks.

Next, strain the liquid, saving it as fertilizer, and reuse solids with more water and molasses to make another batch. Apply it directly to the soil around your plants twice-weekly, but just be aware: while plants love it, its strong fishy odor might be a bit overpowering!
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Source: Alaska
Alaska FIsh Emulsion Fertilizer

Best Fish Emulsion

Alaska brand fish emulsion fertilizer comes in liquid form in a one-gallon jug. While you can make your own, you’ll save a lot of time and smell by picking up some premade solution (especially with a wintergreen smell like this one).

7. Bone Meal
Bone Meal

Before using bone meal fertilizer, test your soil pH is below seven as more alkaline soils can reduce nutrient intake and render bone meal fertilizer ineffective.

Bone meal is an organic long-lasting fertilizer made from finely ground bones. Rich in phosphorus and calcium, it’s particularly valuable for promoting strong root development and aiding the photosynthesis process. Mix 1 pound of bone meal per every 10 square feet of soil and distribute it well. Bone meal breaks down slowly, so only needs to be reapplied once a year.
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Source: Jobe’s Organics
Jobe’s Organics Bone Meal Fertilizer, 4 lb

Best Bone Meal

Jobe’s Organics brand bone meal is some of the best and most affordable around. A four-pound bag costs as little as $8, and it’ll mix into about fourty square feet of soil for your spinach.

8. Bat Guano
picking spinach in a garden

Bat guano, a powdered form of bat feces harvested from caves, is used as fertilizer as it is rich in nitrogen, and can be processed for phosphorous. Beyond its nutrient profile, the beneficial microbes present in guano enhance soil structure, enabling superior nutrient absorption by spinach roots.

Incorporating bat guano in your spinach garden, whether directly or as a tea, ensures that the plants not only thrive but also produce leaves bursting with rich flavors. Its versatility allows it to be directly mixed into the soil (5 pounds per 100 square feet) or brewed as a tea for foliar application (3 teaspoons per gallon) once weekly.

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Source: Down to Earth
Down to Earth Organic Bat Guano Fertilizer

Best Bat Guano

Down to Earth unsurprisingly also offers a great bat guano fertilizer available in a two-pound package. Its powdered form can be applied directly to soil or mixed with water to be sprayed onto your spinach.
Spinach Oh Spinach!

Whether one gravitates towards plant-based fertilizers like banana peels and seaweed extracts or prefers animal-derived options such as vermicompost and bat guano, the goal remains the same: to nurture and nourish the soil for a robust and flourishing spinach harvest.

Embracing these organic fertilization methods not only ensures a bountiful yield but also maintains an eco-friendly garden ecosystem, fostering sustainability and healthy eating in one fell swoop.

Have you tried any of these fertilizers? Share with fellow green thumbs and drop a comment with your tried-and-true tips for luscious spinach growth!

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