Advice Needed: Bloomsdale Spinach

I've never grown greens before and have decided to start with some Bloomsdale spinach. Our frosts are likely done for the year and I've read spinach can take some cold weather anyway but when is best to put them out and what type of planting is best (open sow, rows, hills, etc.)? I've also read they don't tolerate heat over about 80*, that they'll start to bolt ... but is there any way to delay that? Midday shade, lots of water, anything? The temps vary widely here in spring and we sometimes get a run of 80s in April. I'd hate to lose the spinach just as it was getting up good. Any help is most appreciated. Thanks. :-)

I don't know about planting spinach, either, but am hoping for advice. I hope that I can grow it in a self watering windowbox container like I grow leaf lettuce.

I forgot to add, I'm on a fringe area between zones 6b and 7a.

I can grow spinach here. does best direct seeded around the first of March ( about 6 weeks before my last frost date.) Don't do any thing special just flat rows and adequate spacing. You can sow it in cells and transplant for a shade earlier start.

I'm in 9a and spinach is a winter crop for me. I ususally start planting in October. During the summer I grow Malabar Spinach as it tolerates the heat up until we stay consistently over 100°. BTW I've grown Bloomsdale and it is a good spinach.

Thanks all for the replies. It seems I'm late to plant for a spring crop ... our last frost is typically about now, though no weather that cold is in sight. Any advice on a fall harvest maybe? Warmest possible temperatures at planting, cold tolerance, etc? I've read they can take a pretty decent frost (one article said down to 18* in a trial), but I'm going to have to plant quick on the heels of summer to get anything before a hard freeze, and I don't want them burning up in the meantime. Ideas and comments most appreciated. :-)

I find spinach more difficult as a fall crop. Does not germinate well at high soil temps. I f you can start it in a cool environment for transplant when soil temps begin to cool, It will probably do all right. It will stand through the winter here, but growth slows to a crawl in November.

I think CroppingUp should be able to get some spring/early summer spinach still. even if it meant keeping an eye out for bolting.

The past couple of years, I've tried several different varieties of spinach, including Bloomsdale Longstanding, because it was described as slow to bolt and more tolerant of heat. However, the variety I loved the best was called Space Hybrid. It kept going long after the Bloomsdale bolted, and kept a good, mild flavor, too. It had small, smooth, round leaves, kind of heart-shaped, rather than the longer, more ruffled leaves of Bloomsdale. Here are a couple of sources:

http://www.jungseed.com/dp.asp?pID=03458&c=145&p=Space+Hybrid+Spinach

http://www.cooksgarden.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/emailFriend.emailForm/_/Spinach-Space-Hybrid/productID/ca1a5427-cc4e-432f-83d8-a6fd7e2bbd37/categoryID/c2fab78f-06fe-449d-a568-411131b12e4e/

Mine kept going until mid-July here in IL, and we had a pretty hot summer. The Bloomsdale was long gone by then.

Here's a good article on growing spinach; something here might be helpful!

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2635/how-to-grow-spinach

Hope that helps!
Angie