'Maznolisten' Spinach

Spinacia oleracea

Origin: Sofilari, North Macedonia

Improvement status: Landrace

Seeds per packet: ~80

Germination tested 12/2023: 62%

Life cycle: Annual

EFN INTRODUCTION. As part of our effort to increase availability of heirloom and landrace varieties of common crops with limited available genetic diversity in the US seed market, we're excited to present this spinach from North Macedonia. It comes from the small town of Sofilari, located by the River Bregalnitsa in east-central North Macedonia (the former Yugoslav republic known for many years simply as Macedonia). This is a nice, compact, semi-savoyed spinach with semi-erect oakleaf-shaped leaves.

This seed was grown for us by our friend Jason Andrzejewski in Columbus, Michigan. Our stock seed came from the USDA's National Plant Germplasm System, which originally received it in 1972 from Lazar Aladzajkov of the Faculty of Agricultural Research Council at the University of Skopje.

GROWING TIPS: Spinach is liable to bolt during hot weather, so it's best planted in early spring or fall to maximize production. This is likely a good candidate for cold-frame culture. We're still getting to know this variety, so please let us know how it does for you!