Getting spinach to germinate

[Purrfluff]

We've had some hot days here and summer is definitely on. The spinach I planted in April is starting to bolt and I want more spinach so it's time to sow a few more rows.

However, I am getting terrible germination on my spinach seed. I think this is because it's too hot. I've tried to keep the spinach row moist and in one case the row is partly in shade. But still I think I got three seeds to germinate out of probably twenty. The seed is fresh and from a reputable supplier (Territorial Seed) so I doubt the problem is with the seed itself.

I am trying to chit some spinach seed. I soaked the seeds in water and then drained it. Unfortunately they were in the water for nearly twenty four hours instead of the eight I had planned because I lost track of their container.

Now they are sitting in a container nothing is happening. The seeds are still moist. Did I kill the seeds by soaking them too long? Is it just going to take a while? Or is the air temperature simply too warm for them?

And if it is too hot to germinate spinach how am I going to end up with a fall crop? I can't wait until October to plant spinach seed because the plants won't have any time to grow. I sowed spinach last August and that didn't give it nearly enough time to grow to a reasonable size.

If the issue is moisture I could probably use the same trick I used on carrot seed last summer which was to line the row with potting soil and vermiculite before putting in the seed.

I can give a quick review of the two varieties of spinach I have been growing since spring. One is Regiment F1 spinach (a hybrid). It's performed admirably. It is bolting but not super fast. The plants themselves have grown well and have nice, large leaves.

The other is Avon-Tyee (also a hybrid). It has performed poorly. Germination was pretty good but the plants started bolting almost immediately. The number of leaves I've gotten from that seed is miniscule.

The one I'm trying to germinate now is Bloomsdale Savoy.

I've become interested in growing more spinach because I tried using it in a stir fry and it worked wonderfully. The spinach, once cooked, didn't have the smelly feet flavor or smell of bok choi. Sure, the texture was the same but that's not a problem. I wasn't expecting to like spinach so much so I am now sort of making a mad dash to get more spinach growing.

Tips on how to get this finicky green to germinate will be heartily appreciated.

 

[Chuck]

We've had some hot days here and summer is definitely on. The spinach I planted in April is starting to bolt and I want more spinach so it's time to sow a few more rows.

However, I am getting terrible germination on my spinach seed. I think this is because it's too hot. I've tried to keep the spinach row moist and in one case the row is partly in shade. But still I think I got three seeds to germinate out of probably twenty. The seed is fresh and from a reputable supplier (Territorial Seed) so I doubt the problem is with the seed itself.

I am trying to chit some spinach seed. I soaked the seeds in water and then drained it. Unfortunately they were in the water for nearly twenty four hours instead of the eight I had planned because I lost track of their container.

Now they are sitting in a container nothing is happening. The seeds are still moist. Did I kill the seeds by soaking them too long? Is it just going to take a while? Or is the air temperature simply too warm for them?

And if it is too hot to germinate spinach how am I going to end up with a fall crop? I can't wait until October to plant spinach seed because the plants won't have any time to grow. I sowed spinach last August and that didn't give it nearly enough time to grow to a reasonable size.

If the issue is moisture I could probably use the same trick I used on carrot seed last summer which was to line the row with potting soil and vermiculite before putting in the seed.

I can give a quick review of the two varieties of spinach I have been growing since spring. One is Regiment F1 spinach (a hybrid). It's performed admirably. It is bolting but not super fast. The plants themselves have grown well and have nice, large leaves.

The other is Avon-Tyee (also a hybrid). It has performed poorly. Germination was pretty good but the plants started bolting almost immediately. The number of leaves I've gotten from that seed is miniscule.

The one I'm trying to germinate now is Bloomsdale Savoy.

I've become interested in growing more spinach because I tried using it in a stir fry and it worked wonderfully. The spinach, once cooked, didn't have the smelly feet flavor or smell of bok choi. Sure, the texture was the same but that's not a problem. I wasn't expecting to like spinach so much so I am now sort of making a mad dash to get more spinach growing.

Tips on how to get this finicky green to germinate will be heartily appreciated.

Spinach is a cool weather crop and soil temperatures are extremely important in the matter of seed germination. The soil is too warm for spinach now. It should be around 70-75 for good germination. Spinach needs a bit of cold weather to be at its best. It is pretty cold hardy and a light to medium frost will not hurt it. If it gets down to the mid 20's for a period of time it will be damaged. You are wasting your time planting now.

 

[Gardening Girl]

Have you thought about trying to grow inside where it is cooler in the summer?