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Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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Posted by bart1 6/7 No. VA (My Page) on Wed, Feb 13, 08 at 14:01
| About a week and a half ago I started some broccoli and spinach seeds in flats. Both received the same amount of light, water, heat, etc, and the broccoli has been up for nearly a week, but none of the spinach has sprouted yet.
Does spinach just take a long time to germinate? Did I need to soak the seeds overnight first?
Does anyone else have problems getting spinach to grow? I'm trying it indoors this year because I've never had any luck with direct seeding.
Thanks!
Bart |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| I've never had good luck growing spinach. I've never tried to grow it indoors. I've only direct seeded it. I usually plant too late and get little mouse ears for spinach leaves. I'm sorry this isn't helping you, but at least you're not the only one that has trouble with spinach. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| How old is your seed? I purchase new spinach seed every year because I always seem to have poor germination rates for any seed left over from the previous growing season. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Sounds like your broccoli sprouted very quickly. I wouldn't get too worried about the spinach yet. Give it a bit more time. Spinach germinates well with cool soil temps. Germination falls off if soil temps get too warm. Temps much above 75F may give poor, if any germination. Temps in the 60's (or lower) work well. If you don't get germination soon, you might try again with the soil in a cool spot. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Spinach can take up to two weeks to germinate. I've read that spinach doesn't transplant well, and that has been my experience, too. If your bed is ready, I would sow the seeds right into the bed. Spinach likes cool temps, and can be sown as soon as you can work the soil. Sue |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| I don't usually have problems getting spinach up indoors or outdoors, but sometimes old seeds go dead rather suddenly. Get a new packet of seeds and try again. |
Here is a link that might be useful: my website
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| My broccoli and cauliflower sprouted in 3 days or less and everything else took a week or three. Hang in there. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's mistakes...
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| I have LOTS of experience with this question. Old spinach seed does take longer to sprout so new seed is a really good idea. It transplants extremely well. I ALWAYS start spinach seed indoors because of the germination problems (and the slug problem since the slugs will eat them before you know they have germinated). I put seed in damp, folded paper towel in a new zipper plastic bag and transfer the germinated seeds to 4/6 paks of sterilized seed starter soil(I use tweezers). If the seed doesn't germinate well, a day or two in the refrigerator might help. I'm doing this now so I will have plants to put out late March or early April. They really need cool weather to do well. Spinach likes a little lime in the soil also and they like their nitrogen. These are not theories, I've been planting spinach this way for the past 6-7 years and have learned each step by experience. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Thanks everyone! I'm guilty of a couple of problems mentioned above.....the seed is a year or 2, or 3 old, and I used a heating pad under the seed trays. D'oh! corapegia - do you put the sprouting seeds in the refrigerator (in the bag with the damp paper towel) or do you put the seed pack (dry) in the 'fridge for a couple of days. Thanks again! |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Bart, Fresh seed seems to germinate well at room temp. I used the frig technique when I got slow germination with year old seed. So now I try a few days on the counter but if only a few germinate, I put the bag of dampened seeds in the frig. Alternating temps sometimes helps also. I hope I can find the magnifying glass I use to see the tiny sprout breaking the seed cover. You just have to make sure the sprout doesn't get too long because the roots get into the paper towel. Check them twice a day and plant right away. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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- Posted by vgkg 7-Va Tidewater (My Page) on
Thu, Feb 14, 08 at 12:38
| bart1, next fall try planting spinach outside in late Sept or early Oct and have it overwinter for an early spring harvest. It's tough and will survive ok by going dormant, can be covered lightly with straw if desired. In our mutual area I find this extends the harvest season by 2-3 weeks over regular spring planting which tend to bolt not long after first pickings. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Thanks vgkg! I've known about this technique for a while and haven't been very successful. The first 2 years I tired it, I started my seeds too late and they never germinated. This past fall I started them early enough, but I only got a couple of plants to come up. I was using a 4'x8' bed and only had 2 or 3 plants! How big should the plants be before it gets too cold for them to grow? Mine were only a couple inches tall. Should they be full blown spinach plants, a foot or more tall? Or should they be smaller? Thanks,
Bart |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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- Posted by bart1 6/7 Northern VA (My Page) on
Thu, Feb 21, 08 at 12:06
Cora -
Your ziplock bag method did the trick! I started the seeds in bags on Feb 14 and transplanted them into soil the evening of the 18th! Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the great tip!
Bart |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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- Posted by vgkg 7-Va Tidewater (My Page) on
Fri, Feb 22, 08 at 11:10
| Sorry for the late reply Bart, my fall planted (late Sept)spinach plants are typically smallish before the winter weather shuts them down. Each plant is about the size of a .50 cent piece by that time, and then they explode in growth by early March. I find that they are easy to thin and transplant too by late Oct before going dormant. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| This is the best information I have found on the subject. Thanks to all of you. I have planted spinach for the last four years: old seed, new seed, early, late, warm, cold. I haven't seen a seedling yet. I think the slug issue may be my problem. We have oodles of them. My wife kept tell me... She is delighted with this information. Thanks! I'll try again. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| Success!! I poured hot water over the spinach seeds (used my coffee maker w/out coffee), left to soak overnight. In the morning I placed them into a clean, wet coffee filter and then into a clean ziplock bag. I live in Southern California, so its typically warm. So to counter this I set the bag of seeds on a towel that was over an ice pack. I changed the ice pack about once a day. This kept the seeds around 60 degrees, which I've heard is their ideal germinating temp. I got lots of seeds sprouting in 2 to 3 days. I then took the seeds out that sprouted w tweezers and planted about a quarter inch deep, into moist seed starter mix, and lightly watered in. So far so good. Much better then my previous approaches, which was planting seeds directly in seed starter and waiting. |
RE: Why can't I get Spinach to germinate??!!?
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| I just saw this post and I also have had problems getting spinach seed to germinate outdoors. The best method I have used is as follows: Create a bed of whatever size you wish, making it as flat as possible. I press down lightly with a piece of plywood. This is not to compact the soil, only to flatten it. I then make small furrows no more than 1/2 inch deep and sow the seed in the furrows. I then cover the seed with dry sand (Builder's sand or play sand; I like the finer play sand; available in 50 # bags and Lowes or Home Depot). Then keep it moist cause it takes a while, usually 7-10 days. Labor intensive but worth the effort. Oh, and whatever fertilizer you use should be mixed in the bed before planting, and added at appropriate intervals. |
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