Spinach : Perpetual (Spinach Beet)

Vegetable

• Crops in : 50 Days

Description

If your summer spinach is always running to seed before you manage to get a worthwhile crop off it, then Spinach Perpetual is the variety for you because it virtually never runs to seed in its first season, therefore very good on dry ground. Spinach Perpetual is succulent, prolific and very hardy, suitable for autumn and winter crops too.

Sowing Instructions

Sow seeds in early spring and/or autumn very thinly in ordinary garden soil in drills 3cm (1in) deep in rows 30cm (12in) apart.

Growing Instructions

As the seedlings grow, gradually thin out to 23cm (9in) apart.

Aftercare

The thinnings can be trimmed of their roots and cooked. Water freely through the season and harvest by picking a few leaves, snapping them off close to the ground, from several plants rather than completely stripping one. If there are more leaves ready than you can use it is still best to pick them to encourage a steady supply of young green leaves.

Nutritional Information

Popeye was right! You can eat no better vegetable than spinach as it is rich in Vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, lutein (which helps protect against eye disease) and dietary fibre.