New Zealand spinach is a perennial vegetable grown as a tender annual. It is a low-growing, weak-stemmed leafy plant that can spread several feet wide and grow to one foot tall. It has succulent, triangular- to oval-shaped leaves that are pale to dark green and grow from 2" to 4 " long. The leaves of New Zealand spinach are smaller and fuzzier than those of regular spinach. New Zealand spinach has small yellow flowers and conical capsules. One of the best tips for growing spinach I've received is to make sure to plant it early in the spring. How to plant spinach is to put it in the soil as soon as your garden space is ready. Spinach planting is done by planting the seeds directly outdoors. You can plant them ½" deep. Another of the great tips for growing spinach is to make sure you put about 12-15 seeds per foot of row you are planting. This will ensure plenty of spinach growth. Once your plants are at least one inch tall, you can start thinning your spinach plants to about 2-4 " apart. Finally, one of the best tips for growing spinach is to make sure your rows are only 12" apart because this keeps weeds down to a minimum. Because spinach is a leafy vegetable, you should always rinse the leaves before using. However, one thing about spinach planting you will love is that you do not have to fertilize the ground before planting or during the growth phase. Spinach just doesn't require it. It really doesn't take long for your spinach to fill out the rows. They grow much like lettuce. Once you see five or six good leaves on a plant, go ahead and pick them. Fresh spinach is great mixed with lettuce in a salad or by itself in a spinach salad. You can wait until you have enough and cook them down as well.