Tall stem, small leaves or flower buds
Why is my spinach bolting?
Diagnose spinach bolting in a UK garden, find out whether it can be stopped, what to harvest now, and how to keep the next sowing leafy for longer.
Diagnose this symptom →UK spinach problem solver
Start with what your spinach is doing.
Do not guess from one leaf colour. Match the exact symptom, make one useful check, and act on the likely cause without wasting a quick-growing crop.
Open the complete spinach growing guide →A symptom with several possible causes
Why are my spinach leaves turning yellow?
Use the yellowing pattern, soil moisture and leaf undersides to diagnose yellow spinach leaves before adding feed or removing the crop.
Diagnose this symptom →Match the hole to the evidence nearby
What is eating holes in my spinach leaves?
Tell slug, snail, bird, caterpillar and leaf-miner damage apart on spinach, with a quick night check and practical protection for pots and small beds.
Diagnose this symptom →No seedlings after sowing
Why are my spinach seeds not germinating?
Work out why spinach has not appeared after sowing: test old seed, temperature, depth, moisture and missing seedlings with one simple soil check.
Diagnose this symptom →A close-up spinach leaf diagnosis
White patches on spinach leaves: leaf miner or mildew?
Identify white or pale patches on spinach by checking whether they are tunnels, downy growth, wipeable powder or bleached tissue, then choose the right action.
Diagnose this symptom →A three-minute diagnosis
Pattern first. Treatment second.
Check the whole plant
Notice whether the youngest or oldest leaves changed first and whether one plant or the whole sowing is affected.
Look underneath
Leaf undersides reveal downy growth, insects, eggs and mines that a top-down photo can miss.
Feel below the surface
Dry, saturated and restricted roots can create symptoms that look like disease or nutrient shortage.
Mark and revisit
A dated photo shows whether old damage is static or fresh damage is still appearing.