Who's for the Bright Lights, then?

[tim]

A reminder = Tim

[tim]

[derbex]

Had some last night, pretty aren't they, and they just keep growing -I assume they must bolt or something soon they've been in over a year.

Jeremy

[aquilegia]

cor - they almost look unreal! Remind me of highlighter pens. Strange girl - I mean the colours! Didn't know they came in orange and pink!

[Doris_Pinks]

Derbex I am picking last years still! They will bolt eventually, but just in time for this seasons to be ready ;D  Lovely pic Tim, no slug holes in yours!

[tim]

Jeremy - any Chard, with us, will go to seed. We've just put in the next seedlings. = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

Excellent!  Thanks to a certain 'cat' sending me some seeds, I have planted out my bright lights today, already good sized plants.  Didn't realise you could pick them for so long.  I assume you can also pick the leaves when they are small, and eat raw like you would spinach?

[derbex]

I'm glad I did some more for this year then :) I had one lot I put in the greenhouse this year I pulled them out yesterday as I need the space -they'd got to 3ft tall. Don't think I'll bother again as they do so well outside.

E-J I'm told you can -but I've never tried it -ladies first  ;D

Jeremy

[Mrs Ava]

I am a raw leaf fan and lurve my salads, so I will try for sure!

[tim]

- and, of course, the young stems are all part of the fun. Maybe not raw!!
If they get a bit older, cook them separately. = Tim

[derbex]

Tim,

I'm a fan of the stems too -unfortunately the girls aren't -but that's all the more for me :)

[cleo]

Fun aren`t they?,pulled the last plants up yesterday as they were getting a bit `stringy`.

Stephan.

[Doris_Pinks]

I eat mine young in salads, delish!

[Mrs Ava]

Good to hear Doris.  Have been munching young beetroot and radish leaves and am looking forward to the rocket and spinach getting bigger so I can pinch the odd leaf there.  ;D

[carrot-cruncher]

Don't mean to appear thick but have a question.

What's the plant in the photo?

[Mrs Ava]

Tis chard, called bright lights and it comes in all of those great colours.  Think it is kinda like spinach.

[tim]

Sautéed with garlic, yesterday - Spanish style.

Good puréed with white sauce, too!

But the stems are so sweet & tender at the moment - all that rain? = Tim

[oubykh]

 :o Complete coincedence but i bought a packet of Bright Lights yesterday to hopefully get in tomorrow. i think its not to late,? the packet does say planting into May.

Tims pic is a better advertisment than the one on the packet also!

[tim]

Chard/spinach is funny about germinating.
Because of the very hot weather, I would suggest germinating in damp blotch or kitchen roll. Put them out as soon as they germinate. Just did some yesterday. And this way you get no gaps & don't need to thin. = Tim

btw - another way of growing them. I like Jiffy 7s!

[ina]

I've had a lot of trouble with spinach. Germinating in patches and shooting before their (my?) time so I gave up on spinach.
Swiss chard on the other hand, I've never had trouble with. After trying several types I have settled on lucullus, a light green type that stays tender even when not young anymore and they don't shoot easely, just the early ones at the end of the summer.