When to plant spinach in Pittsburgh
Spinach is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Pittsburgh's frost dates of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 18 – Apr 8
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 27 – May 7
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 15 – Aug 29
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 1 – Oct 11
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 50 d
Pittsburgh's 188-day season leaves this much room.
Spinach on Pittsburgh's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 17
OCT 25
Common questions
When can I sow spinach outdoors in Pittsburgh?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 18–Apr 8) in Pittsburgh, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 79%.
When will spinach be ready to harvest in Pittsburgh?
Expect to harvest from around late April (Apr 27–May 7) in Pittsburgh, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 73%.
Can I plant spinach in autumn in Pittsburgh?
Yes — Pittsburgh supports a second, autumn sowing of spinach around mid August (Aug 15–Aug 29), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has roughly 188 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow spinach to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow spinach as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Pittsburgh's frost dates.
Confidence 81/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.