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hi  :)
has anybody any ideas why my spinach is starting to go to seed. they are only about 8 inches high and been in the plot about 6 weeks.
thanks debs  :D

Is it the v. hot dry spell?  Maybe it's confused and freaked out by the changing weather? 

When did it start going to seed?  Was it before the rain started?

about a week ago  :(

Spinach goes to seed horribly easily; that's why I gave up trying to grow it!

I always grow leaf beet (perpetual spinach) for that very reason...
8)

I have had the same happen to all my spinach. :'( I planted it quite early and have tried to keep it watered but with a sandy easily draining soil its just got too dry and has run to seed. I'm going to try again later in the year and try for spinach through september and october. Tried perpertual spinach last year but my OH wasn't keen on the taste.

Same here with our chard, but it was planted last autumn and has given us loads of meals so doesn't owe us anything. Even now, covered in flowering stems, we're still getting piles of small leaves. Does anyone know if you can eat the flowers?

And the stems, of course, for stir fries?

Flowers? No reason why not? If you like that sort of thing!

My spring sown chard is also bolting though the spinach beet seems fine so far.

The variety "Reddy" seems to go to seed as soon as it germinates, whatever the weather.  Can't be bothered growing it any more. 

Our ordinary spinach went to seed AND got mildew in May this year. :'(

All mine has bolted too - think it was too hot and dry in april!

I have small Bordeaux Spinach about 8-10 inches tall. I noticed flowers forming this morning, so I picked my first lot and had with salad for lunch.
So if its flowered is that it? Time to pull it out, kind o thing?

Spinach is a so and so for bolting-I sow very early and very late to get a decent crop. And thickly in the main season to take the young leaves

I sowed spinach and chard, the spinach is bolting, and the plants are tiny, the chard is growing well, though.  Actually we've decided we prefer chard to spinach, so will stick to that and just buy the spinach from the farmers' market as and when we want it.

Try Tyee, it bolts much slower than the others

Quote from: SueSteve on June 13, 2007, 16:25:28
I have small Bordeaux Spinach about 8-10 inches tall. I noticed flowers forming this morning, so I picked my first lot and had with salad for lunch.
So if its flowered is that it? Time to pull it out, kind o thing?

I sowed my Bordeaux spinach last week and they have germinated... I hope they don't bolt prematurely. :-\ I'm also growing Oriento spinach, which is supposed to be bolt resistant (fingers crossed!).

Spinach is one of my favourite vegetables and I think chards are not even half as nice.
I grew Giant Inverno last year, sown in autumn, and was very pleased with it. Got continuous pickings for over 3 months. Maybe spinach are much more suitable as a winter veg?

Tora, there are many types of spinach that favour different types of weather.Most will grow in the cool of early spring and the cool of the fall, it is the hot summers that are the problem,you need to find varieties to fill the gap,there are many available,then you will get it almost all year XX Jeannine

Thanks Jeannine. :) So I should sow bolt-resistant varieties from spring to summer and other types in the autum? I'm growing Bordeaux and Oriento for the first time and really looking forward to harvesting them! Which varieties would you recommend, Jeannine?

No plant most in spring and autumn but only bolt resist in the summer.

Bordeux needs harvesting very promply it actually is best as a baby leaf as it bolts quickly.

I don't know Oriento.

For a smooth leaf that bolts slower I would go for Space FI if you can find it here, this is the slowest bolting smooth leaf I know.

For a savoyed leaf I would stick with Tyee which I think is the slowest to bolt  of all spinachs in my opinion and so I grow it in summer.Actually I grow it most times.

If you want a very dark leaf savoy type I would go with Spargo which is slow to bolt or Remington which is very slow to bolt.


I am not very familiar with what you can get here and I can't help you with seeds as I am completely out of Tyee and I can't get any more this year. XX Jeannine


Just found Nicky's nursery has Space

Thanks Jeannine! :)

I didn't realise there are so many varieties I don't know. I'll see what happens with Oriento and Bordeaux. ;) I remember SS saying she sowed Bordeaux in autumn and had a continuous supply of it during winter so I'm going to sow in autumn too. 8)