Gift that became an obsession — Spinach

Someone gave me Spinach as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit.

The key discovery was rotating crops each year to prevent soil-borne disease build-up — once that clicked, the plant transformed. satisfaction of harvesting food you grew yourself is what gets mentioned every time anyone visits. I keep it in an allotment plot with companion planting which works perfectly. planting out and establishing after last frost is when I understand why this plant has such devoted followers. blossom end rot from irregular watering and calcium deficiency is the one ongoing challenge but it's worth the effort.