What has happened to my spinach ?

[Marb67]

Well I just despair at the amount of failure that my small garden allows. I am getting sick and tired of new problems. Now my once very healthy, vigorous spinach I grew from seed has just stopped producing. I pulled out of the soil and the roots looked like this. No sign of any maggot or pest

I have planted them into a small pot in the hope they may revive.

[roitelet]

Don't know about the roots but from the length of the stems it looks like it's bolted. It will always bolt in hot weather, I only grow it as a late autumn or very early under cover crop.

[Marb67]

It did bolt but surly that wouldn't cause the roots to end up pathetic.

[veggiechicken]

Its the same problem as with your dill. You need to cut the flower heads off as soon as you see them if you want leaves.
The spinach has flowered/bolted, set seeds and then it dies.
Its just basic knowledge - an annual plant exists in order to produce seed and reproduce. All its energy goes into seed production. It doesn't care that you want to eat its leaves - the seeds take priority.
Once its produced seed its done its job and it will die.
If you want it to keep producing leaves you have to fool it into thinking its not ready to set seed - by nipping off the flower heads as soon as you see them.

Just don't ask me to tell you about the birds and bees as I'm out of my depth there

[Marb67]

I did take the tops off a couple of them when they started to bolt so not sure why they still died. Oh well, at least it's not another pest or disease.

[veggiechicken]

Sow some more now, Marb, its a good time to sow after the longest day! Blimey, that's a depressing thought

[Penellype]

Spinach never has particularly deep roots in my experience. It's done its thing and needs replacing. In hot weather spinach barely lasts more than a couple of weeks, and the leaves are usually very small. Then it bolts. I've given up sowing it between May and August, but you could try sowing some now.

[Marb67]

I must admit it was the best crop I ever had. Great big leaves. Just sad when they end up this way because of the weather. Perhaps keeping things in containers would be better for me as I can control them more when things get too hot. Bring them in the cool end of the kitchen.

[Deltawhiskey]

I decided to plant beet spinach rather than the 'real' spinach and with about ten plants we have a job eating it all. We have had to resort to freezing what we and the neighbours can't eat. On my list for next year.

David