Winter Giant

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Winter Giant to a garden.

Sink your spoon into Winter Giant’s lush, deeply colored leaves—cool-weather spinach at its most velvety, with a gentle, sweet-green flavor and tender, broad blades that hold their character through the chill.

Expect a satisfying, succulent texture that stays flexible rather than tough, making it a standout for bold winter harvests. Grow Winter Giant for reliable, early-to-mid season leaf production and a steady supply of greens for fresh bunches and quick sautés, as well as rich, spoonable sauces and hearty soups.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 50 DaysHabit: Rosette

Location not set yet

Enter your ZIP for local crop dates

Winter Giant Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Direct Sow	May 25th	Jul 14th – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	Direct Sow	May 18th	Jul 7th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Direct Sow	May 8th	Jun 27th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Direct Sow	May 8th	Jun 27th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Direct Sow	May 12th	Jul 1st – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Direct Sow	May 8th	Jun 27th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Direct Sow	May 6th	Jun 25th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Direct Sow	May 1st	Jun 20th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Direct Sow	Apr 27th	Jun 16th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Direct Sow	Apr 24th	Jun 13th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Direct Sow	Apr 18th	Jun 7th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Direct Sow	Apr 13th	Jun 2nd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Direct Sow	Apr 3rd	May 23rd – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Direct Sow	Mar 25th	May 14th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Direct Sow	Mar 16th	May 5th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Direct Sow	Feb 27th	Apr 18th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Direct Sow	Feb 2nd	Mar 24th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Nov 20th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	50
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Rosette
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	45
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	30
Harden Off (days)	6

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Winter Giant’s broad, tender leaves cook down into something silky without getting tough, so it holds up to heat and reduction. It’s built for winter comfort—sautéed fast for that fresh, sweet-green bite or folded into creamy pots where it stays spoonable and not stringy.

Best Uses

quick winter sauté with a knob of butter and a splash of lemon
thick, spoonable creamed spinach-style reductions
chopped into hearty soups where it won’t go stringy
stirred into omelets or spanakopita fillings for tender bite

Flavor Profile

gentle sweet-green flavor velvety, succulent leaves tender broad blades that stay flexible light mineral finish

Kitchen Pairings

butter lemon cream nutmeg parmesan cheese eggs

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most often hits Winter Giant crops, and how can I manage it?

Look out for aphids and slugs, which commonly damage leafy growth and can leave plants weak by mid-season. Rinse aphids off with a strong jet of water and use insecticidal soap on infested leaves; hand-pick slugs at dusk and set slug traps or iron-phosphate bait around the beds. If you see leaf spots or mildew, remove affected leaves early and keep foliage dry by watering at soil level rather than from above.

How often should I water during the main growing phase, and what soil moisture level should I aim for?

During active growth, keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy—aim for the top 1 inch to be evenly damp, then water again when it starts to dry at that depth. In full sun, this often works out to about 1 inch of water per week total (more if it’s hot and windy), split into 1–2 deeper waterings. Avoid waterlogged soil because it increases the risk of leaf and root diseases.

How do I tell when Winter Giant is ready to harvest?

Harvest at about 50 days after sowing when heads/foliage reach their expected large, firm size and the plants look fully filled out rather than loose or partially developed. Use leaf size and overall plant bulk as your guide: if growth has plateaued and the leaves feel crisp and substantial, cut and harvest promptly. For best eating quality, harvest in the morning and avoid delaying once the plant is fully mature.