Crop guide

Spinach

Spinach (Palak) – Complete Crop Program 1. Soil Preparation Perform 2–3 deep ploughings to obtain a fine, well-tilled seedbed. Apply well-rotted Farm Yard Manure (FYM): 3–4 tons per acre before the last ploughing.

Both Sowing Sep–Feb Harvest Jun–Jul 80–100 maund per acre

Soil Preparation

Perform 2–3 deep ploughings to obtain a fine, well-tilled seedbed.

Apply well-rotted Farm Yard Manure (FYM): 3–4 tons per acre before the last ploughing.

Soil should be fertile, loamy, and well-drained.

Optimum soil pH: 6.0–7.5.

Sowing Time (Pakistan)

Region Sowing Time
Punjab September – February
Sindh October – January
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa October – March
Balochistan September – November

Spinach grows best in cool weather, with an optimum temperature range of 15–25°C.

Seed Rate and Spacing

Seed Rate: 6–8 kg per acre.

Row-to-row spacing: 1 foot (30 cm).

Plant-to-plant spacing: 4–6 inches (10–15 cm).

Sow seeds 1.5–2 cm deep in moist soil.

Seed Treatment

Treat seeds with Carbendazim (2g/kg seed) to prevent fungal diseases and damping-off.

Optionally, soak seeds in water for 6 hours before sowing to ensure uniform germination.

Irrigation Schedule

Growth Stage Irrigation Frequency
After Sowing Light irrigation immediately
Early Growth Every 7 days
Later Stages Every 10–12 days

Avoid over-irrigation, which makes leaves soft and prone to decay. Water stress can reduce leaf size and yield.

Fertilizer Application (Per Acre)

Fertilizer Quantity Time of Application
DAP (18:46:0) 1 bag (50 kg) At land preparation
Urea (46% N) 1 bag (50 kg) Half after sowing, half after 20 days
SOP (Sulphate of Potash) ½ bag (25 kg) During leaf development
Zinc Sulphate 8–10 kg At land preparation

Balanced fertilizer improves leaf color, yield, and quality.

Weed Management

Weed Damage Control Product
Bathu (Lambsquarters) Being the same family, it germinates with the spinach and takes its light, then gets cut into the bundle. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Nettle-leaf Goosefoot (Krund) It germinates thick in the broadcast crop and its coarse leaves go into the cut bundle, which drops the price. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Canary Grass (Dumbi Sitti) It sprouts with the crop and, left standing, rises over the flat spinach and shades it in the short winter days. Pendimethalin 33%EC
Sweet Clover (Senji) It spreads quickly after the first irrigation and takes the space between the plants, thinning the second and third cuttings. First hoeing 20 days after sowing
Chickweed (Maina) It germinates in a thick mat under the close-sown crop in the cold weeks and smothers the small plants before they spread. Pendimethalin 33%EC

First hoeing: 20 days after sowing.

For chemical control, use Pendimethalin 33% EC @ 1 liter per acre as a pre-emergence herbicide within 2–3 days after sowing.

Pest and Disease Management

Problem Symptoms Recommended Control
Aphids Leaves curl and sticky honeydew forms Spray Imidacloprid or Thiamethoxam
Thrips Silver patches on leaves Spinosad or Acetamiprid spray
Downy Mildew White patches on underside of leaves Mancozeb + Metalaxyl
Leaf Spot Brown circular spots on leaves Azoxystrobin + Difenoconazole