You probably don't live in a place that has ideal outdoor growing conditions for spinach 365 days of the year. But thanks to frost protection in the winter and artificial lights for indoor growing in the summer, it's more than possible to grow your own spinach all 12 months.

If you can't grow your own and if spinach is not in season, we encourage you to wait until cool weather returns. Trucking spinach across the country to ensure grocery store shelves are always stocked with plastic bags and boxes is part of our modern food system problems.

Enjoy as much spinach as possible when it can be grown near you and purchased at the farmers' market.

Even better, grow your own year-round supply! Once you taste the difference between store-bought and homegrown spinach, you might be inspired to never stop growing your delicious gourmet spinach!

With the modern technology (or a bright window sill) you can grow herbs, microgreens, lettuce plants, and spinach indoors and enjoy garden-fresh greens year-round. Bonus, you don't have to worry about garden pests!

When it's too hot or cold outdoors for your spinach plants to thrive, here's how to grow your spinach indoors.

Pick a sunny spot on a window sill or purchase a full-spectrum LED grow light.

Start your seeds indoors the same way you would other seeds. The supplies you'll need, including organic seed starting mix, grow lights, and seed starting trays.

Keep your trays in a room that stays between 65 and 70 degrees. Check your soil daily and keep it consistently moist but not soggy.

Maneuver your light source to be six inches above your seed tray once the spinach seedlings have their first set of leaves, and leave the lights on for 14 to 16 hours a day. You can then reduce to eight to ten hours per day once the plants have matured. Seedlings like having their light source close by, but anything closer than six inches can burn them. Make sure to raise your light source as plants grow.

Once your seedlings are ready to be transferred, move them into pots that are at least four inches wide. Fill these pots with a mix of potting soil and compost.