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I planted my perpetual spinach in April 2005 and had a lovely crop all summer and autumn. After November I stopped picking it as it didn't grow much more, however it is again starting to produce nice new leaves. I was wondering should I leave the plants and continue picking for 2006 or should I dig them up and start again from seed?
Any help gratefully received.

frosty, what I do with mine is keep it in the ground and get a spring picking, plant more seeds and when they are ready hoick out last years, that way you get an almost continual crop!!  Hope this helps  DP

Thanks for your reply and I will do as you say and see what it tastes like very soon.
I'm not sure whether to grow it again or go for the real thing this time, the only problem is my soil drys out very quickly and it might bolt quickly.

DP does this apply to the Bright Lights chard too?

I just keep mine growing too Frosty.  I know when it needs to come out because it just goes to seed.  Mine is still going strong from last year and can withstand the worst of weathers. DorisP's is a good plan though for a continual supply.


We had trouble growing non perpetual spinach too as it bolted straightaway, but then we did have a particuarly dry summer that year and I have often thought I should try it again to compare the tastes. l have never grown Bright Lights chard but I love the colours. busy_lizzie

It tastes delish ..  and the stems braised in butter with lots of black pepper ... mmmmm

sorry Flowerlady, haven't been on the boards for ages, been busy!
Yes to bright lights, it is the only variety I grow, cos it is so pretty, and tastes good too! ;D

I love Bright Lights and it's like 2 veg for the price of 1 - the leaves like spinach and the stems like celery or asparagus.

Hi all,

When my spinach bolted last year I pulled most of it up and planted lettuce instead but I left some spinach roots in the ground with just the top sliced off and those roots made new leaves all summer and didn`t bolt again.

I eventually pulled it out in autumn having cut off the last of the young leaves. I think someone said last year that the older leaves have high levels of oxalic acid which isn`t good if your are arthritic.

So even if it bolts try leaving the root in and I guess that applies to last years roots too it might be worth a wait to see what happens.

I like spinach whatever other people say :D

Col

Thanks everyone, will try the various tips and will have ago at the real thing too. I love Spinach too!

I normally use to grow Swiss Chard back in South Africa but have been unable to find any in the nursery's here in Dorset.  I did however find perpetual spinach - which I bought a packet of.  I am glad that I have seen this post as I was not sure whether it was good or not.  Glad to hear that it will last over the winter as well. 

Jitterbug

Perpetual Spinach
                            What Varieties Please are best to Begin with. ;)
                                   
Trying Different Things this Year Pumpkins Squash Herbs ect :D

I suspect you'll find it'll run to seed on you - so sow some fresh but keep picking while you can!!

Over the years I have grown both the 'perpetual' and the more delicate, and genuine, spinach and quite honestly I can see no reason to bother with the more exacting 'genuine' spinach.   The baby leaves taste no better than the baby leaves of the perpetual, it is more fussy over the growing conditions and its season is nowhere near as long.

Somehow this thread appears to have eluded me, but I now find I have another item on my seed list to hunt down. Do others have this same problem, the list just keeps growing ?

Could plant up a smallholding with the stuff I've already got  :)

Jitterbug, both www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/chard.htm and www.seedsofitaly.sagenet.co.uk/italianveg2.htm have swiss chard, though some say it's the same as leaf beet ???

I had a fantastic crop of Perpetual Spinach with very little effort, though I didn't seem to eat much of it as it had a nice leafy ornamental look! It went to seed in the summer of its second year, grew to about 5 foot, and I had to hack it down.

Bright Lights look pretty, but seem a bit more reluctant to grow rampantly.. I didn't find them hugely tasty, either.

Melanie

Swiss chard definitely looks pretty - variety rainbow grown here (is that a variety, or three different varieties to give the colours?) but the taste is not a patch on spinach. The stalks do make a very welcome addition on the plate though, lightly stir fried to maintain a bit of bite.

for jfrosty iv got a packet of spinach in the swop section if you want it  or any one else for that matter check out the swop section for the name if you would and let me know if any one wants it chears