Dark green, smooth, oval-shaped leaves are a versatile addition to the kitchen! 'Matador' has great, sweet flavor as a mature plant, can also be enjoyed as a baby green in salad mixes, and has the perfect texture for cooked dishes, such as risotto. Productive plants yield smooth, easy-to-clean leaves. Grows especially well when sown for fall harvest. Variety Info Days to Maturity: 28–48 days Family: Amaranthaceae Native: Southwest Asia Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual. Very cold hardy; fall-sown plants may overwinter even in climates with sub-zero temperatures. Exposure: Full sun to part shade Plant Dimensions: 6"–8" tall Variety Info: Dark green, oval-shaped leaves. 'Matador' is cold hardy with sweet flavor; and slow to bolt in warm weather. Attributes: Good for Containers, Frost Tolerant, Heat Tolerant Sowing Info When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is above 40°F; ideally 50°–75°F. Successive Sowings: Every 3 weeks until 4 weeks before your average first fall frost date. If mulched, spinach can overwinter in sub–zero temperatures. Soil temperatures above 85°F halt germination. When to Start Inside: Not recommended; roots sensitive to disturbance. Days to Emerge: 5–10 days Seed Depth: ½" Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds 6" Row Spacing: 12" Thinning: When 2" tall thin to 1 every 6" Growing Info Harvesting: Pick individual leaves from outer edges of plant as they become big enough to use or cut the whole plant 1" above the ground; new leaves will be produced. When picking individual leaves, also removing the leaf stem at the same time is best; this reduces vulnerability to disease during die-back and conserves plant energy. Harvest before the plant sends up a flower stalk (bolting). Just prior to bolting, leaves take on an "arrowhead" shape, adding small keel shapes to the base of the leaf.
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