The Giant Noble spinach won the All-America Selections award in the early 1930s. This heirloom variety is known for its enjoyable taste and gorgeous dark leaves. It is readily adapted to any type of use and preserve. You can eat it fresh or sauteed and it holds up well to canning and freezing. By bringing back the varieties of decades gone by, the diversity can be kept alive.
Each gardener will see a different benefit to growing heirloom vegetables. Some will grow these vintage types as a means to maintain a diverse genetic pool. Others will revel in the unique characteristics of the strain and enjoy the cultivated taste. Another will grow to keep history alive.
One of the bigger reasons to maintain the existence of heirloom produce is to keep the ownership of the seeds in private hands. Until recent decades most seeds were the property of the gardener and diversity was assured due to location and success of gardening. Now most seeds are the property of governments and corporations. Seed companies hybridize and modify the seeds to grow large commercial crops. Growing hybrids alone will create a dependence on the company for each year’s crops.
To be classified as an heirloom is less than an exact science. Literally it used to mean that seeds were collected from plants that were bred and selected for their good taste, growth, and harvest in a specific region. These seeds were then handed down from generation to generation much the same as a fine antique. Today it is generally held that an heirloom is a seed strain that came into being before the years of 1945 to 1951. After this time hybrid seeds were introduced.
Plant the spinach seeds in rows spaced about a foot to a foot and a half apart. Place the seeds into the soil about a half inch deep and two to three inches apart. These hardy plants will grow twelve to eighteen inches tall and will produce many harvests. They have been bred to be slow to bolt and mature within a month and a half.
At the end of growing season the plant will send up seed shoots with seed heads. To harvest next year’s seeds, allow these pods to dry on the plant. Remove the heads from the plants, open each one, clean, and dry the seeds. Store this bounty in a cool, dry location for next spring’s planting. Expect about 2400 seeds per single ounce.
Enjoy the fresh and robust taste of a raw spinach salad straight from your garden. By using the seed of the Giant Nobel spinach, you taste the work of generations of gardeners before you. Take care of the seed and pass it on to your fellow gardeners. Search online for a reputable farm to make your purchase.
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