Spinach Seed Starting Tips

About a week before planting, soak spinach seeds in room temperature water for 24 hours. Place the wet seeds on a paper towel, and allow to dry at room temperature for a day or two. Shift the seeds to an airtight container, and keep in a cool place for up to a week.

How do you prepare seed for spinach?
Do spinach seeds need darkness to germinate?
When should I start spinach seeds?
Should I soak spinach seeds before planting?
Why won't my spinach seeds germinate?
What is the best fertilizer for spinach?
Does spinach need full sun?
Is spinach farming profitable?
Why are my spinach seedlings dying?
How big should spinach seedlings be before transplanting?
How can I grow spinach faster?

How do you prepare seed for spinach?

Setting up a Spinach nursery

Clear all weeds and grass. Dig the soil well so that there are no lumps.
1 week before planting, add a 7 cm layer of compost or well-rotted manure. Use 1 wheelbarrow full of manure for every 3 square metres. ...
Soak the seeds in cold water for 24 hours before planting.
Plant seeds in lines 2 cm deep in rows 15 cm apart.

Do spinach seeds need darkness to germinate?

Spinach is grown from seeds or transplants. ... Spinach grows best in full sun but can tolerate light shade. Spinach prefers a soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Seed germinates in 7 to 14 days at or near 70°F (21°C)—but sometimes seed can take up to 3 weeks to germinate in cold soil.

When should I start spinach seeds?

Sow spinach seed as early as six weeks before the last frost or as soon as you can work the soil. Prepare the soil the previous autumn, and you'll be able to drop the seeds in barely thawed ground come spring. In areas with a long, cool spring, make successive plantings every 10 days until mid-May.

Should I soak spinach seeds before planting?

About a week before planting, soak spinach seeds in room temperature water for 24 hours. ... Shift the seeds to an airtight container, and keep in a cool place for up to a week. The primed seeds will retain enough moisture to complete the first two stages of germination.

Why won't my spinach seeds germinate?

Spinach seeds not germinating – If your seeds never germinated, then it was either too wet, too warm, or the seeds were old, and no longer viable. Always plant fresh spinach seeds in well draining, cool soil for best results.

What is the best fertilizer for spinach?

Spinach grows best when given plenty of fertilizer. Adequate nitrogen is needed to develop the dark green leaf color. Before planting the seeds, apply a general garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 at the rate of 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet. Or, fertilize as directed by a soil test report.

Does spinach need full sun?

Spinach is a cool-weather vegetable related to beets and Swiss chard. A fast-growing plant, it yields many leaves in a short time in the mild weather of spring and fall. ... Although it prefers full sun, spinach will still produce a respectable harvest in partial shade.

Is spinach farming profitable?

Spinach farming is as profitable as kale farming. When you plant spinach, you don't need more than one acre, even half an acre is enough. ... When you plant, you just wait for two to three months to harvest. During drought, people will take more spinach as opposed to cabbages or kales.

Why are my spinach seedlings dying?

Although the sources are different, the result is usually the same – a condition known as either damping off or seedling blight. The symptoms of this condition include the seedling wilting and toppling over, the stem near the soil line becoming watery and girdled, and the roots becoming stunted and blackened.

How big should spinach seedlings be before transplanting?

The general rule of thumb is that when a seedling has three to four true leaves, it's large enough to plant out in the garden (after it has been hardened off). When you plant a seed, the first leaves to emerge are the cotyledons. These leaves will look different from leaves that will grow later.

How can I grow spinach faster?

Soil Type and Prep - well-drained soil rich in organic matter such as compost or composted manure; pH of 6.5 to 7. Germination Temperature - 10°C - 22°C. Sunlight - Sun to partial shade. Water - Since spinach grows best in cold weather, avoid over-watering.