The oxalic acid issue means that spiach should be eaten occasionally, or replaced by a more nutritious green such as quinoa leaves. Mustand greens and turnip greens are also good alternatives. Spinach seeds should be germinated at about 100 seeds per tub, and then thinned by harvesting as the plants grow. The outer leaves should be harvested first for those plants you reserve for continued growth. Also, when the leaves get too tight on top the plant can start to rot within.
Harvest leaves in such a way that remaining leaves have some space from other leaves.
Spinach leaves can be used in salads and sandwiches. If you have extra they can also be added to soups and stews. They can also be boiled and served as a vegetable, but this loses some of their food value. They should be picked fresh and eaten within one half hour from being picked to retain full food value. Common spinach - Spinacia spinosa is a bushy plant made up of dark green ruffled and pointed leaves.