Crop type: Spinach
Spinacia oleracea ‘Amazon’ AGM
Common name: Spinach ‘Amazon’
Crop slug: spinach
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile and its linked crop guidance. Check the sources and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Amazon’ is a vigorous spinach with rounded, fairly smooth, medium-textured, dark-green leaves. This leafy annual or biennial is harvested in its first year, combining strong growth with a clearly defined leaf form that is less blistered than savoyed types.
The cultivar forms a compact clump and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Its vigour is useful where gardeners want substantial mature leaves, provided plants receive fertile soil, steady moisture and enough room for healthy development.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Time to ultimate height
- 1 year
- Habit
- Clump-forming
Thin plants to the parent guide’s final spacing for full-sized foliage. Closer sowings may be harvested young, but vigorous mature rosettes need airflow and space for their rounded leaves.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline or neutral
Grow in fertile soil rich in organic matter with a steady moisture supply. Work in mature compost and water before the surface becomes very dry. Vigorous leaf production depends on consistent moisture, but drainage remains essential.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun or partial shade
- Aspect
- South-, east- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2 — tolerant of low temperatures but not surviving being frozen
Winter crops require sun, while summer crops benefit from a little shade. Protect autumn sowings during freezing weather. A sheltered site reduces damage and supports even moisture around the broad foliage.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Foliage |
|---|---|
| Spring | Dark green |
| Summer | Dark green |
| Autumn | Dark green |
| Winter | Green where protected |
The cultivar’s visual identity comes from abundant rounded, fairly smooth dark-green leaves with a moderate substance. It is grown for edible foliage rather than ornamental flowers or fruit.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Lifecycle
- Annual or biennial
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump-forming
- Name status
- Accepted
- Award
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
Genus
Spinacia includes annual or biennial herbaceous plants, usually dioecious, with upright stems and smooth ovate or triangular leaves. Edible forms are cultivated as spinach.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow summer crops every few weeks from February under biodegradable fleece or cloches through to the end of May. Sow winter crops in August and September and protect them in cold spells. Use the parent guide’s sowing depth, row spacing and thinning advice.
Maintain even moisture and harvest outer leaves while the centre continues to grow. For maximum mature-leaf yield, do not let vigorous plants become crowded. Summer shade helps preserve tender leaf quality.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Sow directly or into modules, keep seedlings evenly moist and transplant before roots become congested.
Suggested locations
- Allotment or kitchen garden
- Patio container
- Raised bed
- Sheltered edible border
Pruning
No pruning is required. Pick usable leaves cleanly and remove plants after they bolt or leaf quality declines.
Pests
Pigeons may damage foliage. Use safely secured fine netting to protect young crops without trapping wildlife.
Diseases
Spinach downy mildew may occur. Rotate crops, preserve airflow, avoid prolonged leaf wetness and remove badly affected plants.