Spinach is the hardest seed we sell, and we would rather say so on the page than let you find out on day nine. It germinates lower than anything else in our catalogue, it takes twice as long as radish, and its seed goes stale faster than any other variety we stock. It is also worth growing, because palak microgreens taste like concentrated spinach and nothing else in a tray does.
Key Takeaways: Spinach microgreen seed germinates at 85 per cent against 90 to 95 for most varieties, and takes 8 to 12 days against radish's 6 to 8. Sow 15 to 20g per 25cm tray, more than you would for a brassica, because you must plan for the gaps. SAGreens sells organic spinach (palak) seed at ₹106 per 100g. Spinach seed loses viability in 1 to 2 years, the bottom of our range alongside sunflower, so buy what you will use within a season.
This guide is about the seed: why its germination is lower, how much to sow because of that, how long it keeps, and how to tell good spinach seed from tired seed. For the tray method start to finish, our spinach microgreens growing guide covers it in detail.
Why spinach seed germinates lower than everything else
This is the number that matters and the one most sellers leave off the packet.
Spinach seed carries a tough, corky pericarp — the crinkled outer layer you can feel between your fingers. It exists to protect the embryo in cold soil over winter, and it does that by resisting water. Radish and mustard seed take up moisture within hours; spinach seed has to soften first, which is why germination is both slower and less complete.
Spinach germinating at 85 per cent is not a bad lot. It is spinach. Radish and mustard run 93 to 97 on fresh seed. If a seller quotes you 95 per cent for spinach, either they have not tested it or they are quoting the figure they wish were true.
Two things follow from that, and both are about the seed rather than the technique.
Sow more than you would for a brassica. At 85 per cent, roughly one seed in seven does nothing. A tray sown at radish density comes up visibly patchy, and patches are where mould starts because air stops moving evenly across the canopy.
Expect the tray to take its time. First shoots at 3 to 5 days rather than 24 hours, harvest at 8 to 12 days rather than 6 to 8. Growers who have only ever grown radish read a slow spinach tray as a failure on day three and throw away a crop that would have been fine on day ten.
Spinach seed at a glance
| Spinach (palak) | |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Spinacia oleracea |
| Seed | Round, crinkled, corky pericarp |
| Pre-soak | 6–8 hours, recommended |
| Germination | 3–5 days to first shoots |
| Our tested rate | 85%+ |
| Blackout | 4–5 days |
| Harvest | 8–12 days |
| Seed per 25cm tray | 15–20g |
| Seed viability | 1–2 years |
| Price | ₹106 per 100g |
How much spinach seed to sow
A standard 25cm × 25cm tray takes 15 to 20g, against 8 to 12g for radish. The difference is not because spinach seed is bigger — it is because you are sowing for an 85 per cent outcome rather than a 95 per cent one.
At ₹106 per 100g and 15 to 20g a tray, seed costs about ₹16 to ₹21 per tray, and each tray yields 50 to 80g of microgreens. That is more per tray than radish and less than sunflower.
Weigh spinach seed rather than eyeballing it. The corky coat makes the seed look bulkier than it is, so a handful that feels generous is often 10g. Under-sowing spinach compounds the germination gap, and the tray comes up thin.
Order from our organic spinach seeds page, and compare rates across the range in the India seed price guide.
Spinach seed does not keep, and that is the thing to plan around
Most seed we sell holds two to three years. Radish and brassicas will still germinate respectably after four. Spinach will not.
Spinach seed loses viability in one to two years, and the drop is steeper than the shelf-life table suggests: seed that tested 85 per cent when packed can be down near 60 within eighteen months in an Indian kitchen. The same oily, thin-walled embryo that makes it nutritious makes it perishable.
What follows practically:
Our seed storage and shelf life guide covers viability across every variety, and spinach sits at the bottom of that table for a reason.
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Buying spinach seed: what to check
Untreated, and it matters more here. Spinach is one of the varieties most often sold treated, because damping off is a real problem for field growers and fungicide dressing is the standard answer. Treated seed is dyed pink, red or blue precisely so nobody eats it. It germinates fine and must never go in a microgreen tray. Our seed safety guide covers how to tell.
A germination figure that admits what spinach is. A seller quoting 95 per cent on spinach is quoting a brassica number. Ours is 85 per cent because that is what our lots test at, and we would rather you sowed 18g knowing that than 10g not knowing it.
A harvest or packing date. More important for spinach than for anything else we sell, because of how fast viability falls. If nobody can tell you when the seed was harvested, assume it is old.
Whole seed, not split or damaged. The corky coat should be intact. Cracked spinach seed takes up water unevenly and rots rather than germinating.
Palak seed from a grocery shop is not microgreen seed. Spinach sold for cooking is not seed at all, and spinach seed sold for a kitchen garden is usually treated. Neither is a substitute.
Spinach compared with the seeds people usually try first
Most people arrive at spinach after radish or sunflower, and the comparison is worth setting out honestly.
| Seed | Germination | Days | Per tray | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red radish | 95% | 6–8 | 8–12g | Easiest |
| Sunflower | 90–95% | 8–10 | 20–30g | Easy, needs soaking |
| Spinach | 85% | 8–12 | 15–20g | Hardest of the three |
| Coriander | 80–88% | 14–21 | 10–15g | Slowest |
Grow spinach if you want the flavour. Palak microgreens taste distinctly of spinach — mineral, slightly sweet, unmistakable — and nothing else in a tray substitutes for it. The iron and folate are genuinely useful in an Indian vegetarian diet.
Do not start with spinach if this is your first tray. Start with red radish, which forgives most mistakes, and come to spinach once you can read a tray. Our beginner seed guide sets out the order we recommend.
Sowing spinach seed, briefly
The full method is in the growing guide. What is specific to the seed:
A slow spinach tray is usually a normal spinach tray. Nothing visible for three days is expected. Judge the tray at day five, not day two.
What goes wrong with spinach seed specifically
| What you see | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing at 48 hours | Normal for spinach | Wait until day 4–5 before judging |
| Half the tray bare | Old seed, or sown at brassica density | Test 20 seeds; sow 15–20g |
| Seedlings collapse at the base | Damping off, the classic spinach failure | Bottom water only, thin the sowing, add airflow |
| Fuzzy grey growth on the medium | Too wet, too dense, too warm | Reduce density 15%, run a fan |
| Pale and leggy after uncovering | Blackout ran past 5 days | Uncover at day 4–5 into bright indirect light |
| Uneven heights across the tray | Seed took up water unevenly | Soak 6–8 hours next time |
Most spinach failures are the seed's nature meeting a method built for radish. Our germination troubleshooting guide works through the rest.
Spinach seed for commercial growers
Spinach is rarely anyone's base crop and is almost always worth carrying anyway, because it is the one variety a restaurant or a subscription customer cannot get a substitute for. The arithmetic is different from radish and worth doing before you commit to volume.
Seed cost per kilogram of harvest. A tray takes 15 to 20g and yields 50 to 80g cut, so a kilogram of spinach microgreens takes roughly 200 to 400g of seed — ₹210 to ₹425 of seed per kg harvested. Radish comes in well under half that, because it needs less seed and gives more weight. Price your spinach line accordingly rather than at your radish margin.
Tray positions turn over slower. At 8 to 12 days, a spinach position gives you two to three crops a month where red radish gives four. If your constraint is rack space rather than seed cost, that matters more than the price per 100g does.
Volume planning. A grower running 20 trays a week of spinach uses roughly 1.4 to 1.6kg of seed a month, which crosses into our 1kg wholesale tier. Wholesale starts at 500g per variety at 25 to 45 per cent below retail, and 40 to 60 per cent from 1kg.
With spinach, buy to a schedule rather than to a price break. Viability is one to two years, so a 5kg order that takes fourteen months to work through will finish weaker than it started. Tell us your weekly tray count and we will split the same volume across deliveries at the same rate.
Our seed supplier page covers wholesale terms, GST invoicing and lot consistency, and the bulk seed guide sets out what to ask any supplier before committing to a large order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do spinach microgreen seeds have a lower germination rate?
Spinach seed has a tough, corky pericarp that resists water uptake — it evolved to survive cold soil over winter. That makes germination slower and less complete than brassicas like radish or mustard. 85 per cent is normal and healthy for spinach; 95 per cent is a brassica figure, and a seller quoting it for spinach has either not tested the lot or is repeating a number they wish were true.
How much spinach seed do I need per tray?
15 to 20g for a standard 25cm × 25cm tray, against 8 to 12g for radish. The extra is deliberate: at 85 per cent germination roughly one seed in seven does nothing, and sowing at brassica density gives a patchy tray where air stops moving evenly and mould starts.
How long do spinach microgreen seeds stay viable?
One to two years, at the bottom of our range with sunflower. Most varieties hold two to three years and brassicas manage four. Spinach drops steeply rather than gradually — seed that tested 85 per cent when packed can be near 60 within eighteen months in an Indian kitchen. Buy what you will use within a season.
Should I soak spinach seeds before sowing?
Yes, for 6 to 8 hours. It is not the absolute requirement it is for sunflower, but the soak softens the corky pericarp and makes the tray come up together over a day rather than spread across three, which gives a more even canopy. Drain thoroughly afterwards and do not soak beyond ten hours.
How much do organic spinach seeds cost in India?
SAGreens sells organic spinach (palak) seed at ₹106 per 100g. At 15 to 20g per tray that is roughly ₹16 to ₹21 of seed per tray, and a 100g pack fills 5 to 6 trays. Delivery is charged at checkout and varies by city and weight.
Can I sow spinach seed bought from a nursery?
Only if it is untreated, and spinach is one of the varieties most often sold treated because damping off is a genuine problem for field growers. Treated seed is dyed pink, red or blue so it cannot be mistaken for food. It grows perfectly well and must never go in a tray you intend to eat from.
Why did half my spinach tray stay bare?
Either the seed is old or you sowed at radish density. Spinach loses viability faster than the brassicas, so an eighteen-month-old lot can be well below its packed figure. Test twenty seeds on damp tissue for five days before committing a tray — twelve or more up and the seed is fine.
Is spinach a good microgreen for beginners?
No. It has the lowest germination rate we sell, takes 8 to 12 days against radish's 6 to 8, and is the most prone to damping off. Start with red radish, learn to read a tray, then come to spinach for the flavour once the routine is established.
Why do my spinach seedlings collapse at the base?
Damping off — a fungal problem at the soil line, and spinach is the variety most susceptible to it in our catalogue. It comes from too much moisture and too little air. Bottom water only, never wet the canopy, reduce sowing density slightly, and run a fan near the trays for a few hours a day in humid weather.
Are spinach microgreens the same as palak?
Yes. Palak is spinach, Spinacia oleracea, and palak microgreens are the same plant harvested at the seedling stage. The flavour is recognisably spinach but more concentrated and slightly sweeter than the mature leaf.
How should I store spinach seed?
Airtight, cool and dark, and use it within a season rather than stockpiling. Add a silica gel sachet during the Pune and Mumbai monsoon — ambient humidity does more damage to spinach seed than heat does. Do not decant it into a cloth or paper bag.
Can I grow spinach microgreens in Indian summer?
It is the hardest season for spinach. Above 32°C germination drops further and damping off risk rises, so if you grow through April and May, sow slightly thinner, water early in the morning and keep trays well away from afternoon sun. Winter is when spinach performs best.
Do spinach microgreens regrow after cutting?
No. Spinach is cut once and the tray is composted and re-sown. Because the cycle is already 8 to 12 days, waiting on regrowth that will be thin and slow costs more than starting again.
What is the difference between spinach seed and amaranth or beetroot seed?
They look similar and behave differently. Amaranth and beetroot are in the same botanical family as spinach, but beetroot seed is a cluster that produces several seedlings from one unit, and amaranth is far smaller and faster. Sowing rates are not interchangeable — see our amaranth and beetroot seed guide.
How do I test spinach seed before sowing a full tray?
Count out twenty seeds, lay them on damp tissue in a closed container, keep it somewhere around 20 to 25°C and check on day five. Twelve or more sprouted means the lot is working normally for spinach. Eight or nine means the seed has aged and you should either sow noticeably heavier or replace it. Do this whenever a pack has been open more than a few months, because spinach is the one seed where the packed figure and the current figure can be far apart.
How many trays will 100g of spinach seed fill?
Five to six standard 25cm × 25cm trays, at 15 to 20g each. That is fewer trays than the same weight of radish covers, which is why spinach costs more per tray to grow even though the pack price is similar.
Do you sell spinach seed in bulk?
Yes, from 500g per variety at roughly 25 to 45 per cent below retail, and more from 1kg. With spinach specifically we would ask how quickly you will use it — viability is short enough that a large order sitting for a year is a false economy. Tell us your monthly tray count and we will suggest a schedule rather than a single large pack.
Do you deliver spinach seed outside Pune?
Yes. Seed ships across India in 3 to 5 days from our Keshav Nagar farm in Mundhwa, and Pune orders go same or next day. Delivery is charged at checkout and varies by city and weight.
Ordering spinach seed from SAGreens
Our spinach seed is untreated, undyed and non-GMO, germination tested before packing, and sold in 100g packs at ₹106. We state 85 per cent rather than a rounder number because that is what spinach does, and knowing it is what lets you sow the right amount.
The full seed catalogue lists every variety with current pricing, and our seed supplier page covers wholesale for commercial growers. If a spinach tray is behaving oddly — and spinach is the one that most often looks like it is failing when it is not — send us a photo through our contact page and we will tell you what we see.
About the author. SAGreens is run by Ajay Toradmal in Keshav Nagar, Mundhwa, Pune, from a three-generation farming family. The germination figures, sowing densities and failure modes here come from our own trays, including the spinach ones that did not work.
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