I have perpetual spinach for the first time and really like it. But does perpetual mean that it will come again year after year?
No It means that with a spring sowing (and idealy a summer sowing too) it will remain productive for most of the year, thus "perpetual"), long after traditional spinach has given up.
It's one of the most reliable, productive, and tasty vegies there is.
But you need to sow every year as they are biennial, going to flower the following spring. (But before they do the tender flowering shoots are wonderful as wel as an excellent change from brassica greens at that time of the year)
The alternative name "leaf beet" is probably a more accurate way of describing it.
Thanks. I also have chard which is I don't like so much. But I thought (mistakenly?) that that could also could be called leaf beet. I am confused - but like the perp.spinach!
Quote from: mormor on August 13, 2012, 06:20:55
Thanks. I also have chard which is I don't like so much. But I thought (mistakenly?) that that could also could be called leaf beet. I am confused - but like the perp.spinach!
I am also confused and thought that perpetual spinach, leafbeet and chard were pretty much the same thing - give or take different varieties within the species. Does anybody know the botanical name of perpetual spinach?
I only found the Generic Family name of Beta Vulgaris Galina but it seems to apply to beetroot,sugar beets and Chard.
Im in your camp Mormor,luv this "cut and come again" wanna be spinach as its a regular 10 min visitor to our steamer..... ;),,,,and yes,,,re seed each season and let it do its thing !!!!!!!!!!
Gazza
Perpetual spinach, chard, leaf beet, are all different types if beta vulgaris circla. While beetroot, sugar beet and mangels come from a differnet line of breeding - beta vulgaris, vulgaris. All these different veg were originally bred from sea beet - beta vulgaris.
The circla group have been grown for a few thousand years while the red beetroot we know so well is a comparatively recent development - a few hundered years.
The coloured and thicker leaf stalked chards do have a stronger taste but are useful to add colour to your plate or salad bowl (they are good harvested as baby salad leaf for example). They also look colourful on the plot.
Like you overall I prefer the absolutely delicious perpetual spinach but always grow both for variety. :)
I grow them from saved seed and I can confirm the difference between leaf beet and thick-ribbed swiss chard is down to selective breeding. If you let them self-seed the baby plants are very varied - pink, red, green or white chards, and some fat chards (swiss chard) and some very thin (leaf beet).
I personally love the fat stemmed swiss chard, and save seed from the fattest one each year. I separate the chard from the leaf, and saute it in butter and a sprinkle of water, till it's soft, then add the leaves in the last couple of minutes to soften them. I like the chard more than the green.
But I like all of it, and I never understand when people say it's inferior to spinach, to me it has a nicer flavour, though the texture is never as soft, if that's what you're after.