Merlo Nero Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

Big, bright green savoyed leaves with excellent flavor, this Italian variety won the latest spinach trial by far.  The flavor is immaculate with none of the bitter “oxalic acidy” taste I find in some spinach.  I ate most of it fresh off the plants in the field!  Plants and leaves grow large for excellent and satisfying harvests in both early Spring and Fall/Winter. Original seed from Wild Garden Seeds.

Growing Spinach

Like all spinach, Merlo Nero grows best in cool soils and bolts as the days warm and lengthen in the late Spring.   I start seeds indoors in early March to transplant out when the starts have two to three true leaves.  Seeds can also be direct sown around your last frost date.  Merlo Nero is an excellent Fall variety as well.  An early September sowing yields a bountiful Fall and Winter harvest.  Spinach seeds take their time to germinate but don’t give up on them!   Space or thin plants to 8” for full sized leaves.

Days to Maturity 28 days baby leaf, 45 days large leaf.

Packet contains ~150 seeds