Spinach
Vinny Offline
Geordie living 'ower the watter'
#1
Question 
I like eating baby spinach and lightly cooked bigger leaves. I always fail miserably growing it though, usually jetting off to seed soon after sowing! Sick

Can anyone give me a recommended variety for taste and not being liable to bolting? Huh

I also toyed with the idea of using it as a green manure once I was finished with it. To get spinach year round would I need to plant different varieties?

 Everyone has something they just can't grow and spinach is one of my constant failures. Rolleyes

That's enough questions for now. Sick
"The problem with retirement is that you never get a day off"- Abe Lemons
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Eyren Offline
Hardy perennial
#2
(10-03-2021, 12:12 PM)Vinny Wrote: Can anyone give me a recommended variety for taste and not being liable to bolting? Huh

Charles Dowding recommends "Medania" - I'm pretty sure that's what I've grown in the past, but I'd need to check my old gardening records. I do recall that I usually only sow spinach after the summer solstice, so that the shortening days discourage bolting.

This year I'm also trying out Malabar spinach, which is not spinach at all but a climbing vine from India with spinach-like leaves. Being tropical, it loves heat so I'm going to sow it late spring, just before last frosts, for growing over summer.

I got mine from Seedaholic, but they're limiting their opening hours at the moment - the same variety is available from other suppliers, e.g.

https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_179...pinach_red
How much veg and wildlife can I pack into a 6m x 8m garden in suburban Cambridge? Let’s find out!  Smile
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toomanytommytoes Offline
Member
#3
Mikado is supposed to be bolt resistant, growing it for the first time this year. Last year I sowed spinach in modules in February and it bolted in May or so. In summer I switch to chard, not a fan of it cooked but the baby leaves are nice in salads. Then in August I start to sow spinach again for a late summer/autumn/winter/early spring harvest.
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Bren Offline
Member
#4
I grow Medania some years a I get a good crop other times it just bolts and I haven't done anything different.
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Eyren Offline
Hardy perennial
#5
From some rather old records (2009):

* Bloomsdale sown in March (in modules) bolted like mad

* Matador sown outdoors in April did well - harvested 4 bags in May from half a square meter.

Looks like I didn't get around to sowing the Medania after all!

Edit: I guess I'm going to try and fit in a quick crop of "Matador" this spring before planting out my squash and courgettes, since I have the seeds and some bare ground!
How much veg and wildlife can I pack into a 6m x 8m garden in suburban Cambridge? Let’s find out!  Smile
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Small chilli Offline
Super Pest Controller
#6
I usually grow perpetual spinach without to problem. I definitely don’t put it down to any talent or experience on my part.
Builder that would like to go play in the garden.
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Vinny Offline
Geordie living 'ower the watter'
#7
(10-03-2021, 07:09 PM)Small chilli Wrote: I usually grow perpetual spinach without to problem. I definitely don’t put it down to any talent or experience on my part.
That will do for me. Cool £1.30 a packet delivered, can't be bad. I'll give it a go. Big Grin Strangely it is listed as a chard, but who cares, if it looks like spinach and tastes like spinach plus it doesn't bolt, jobs a good un! Cool
"The problem with retirement is that you never get a day off"- Abe Lemons
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Eyren Offline
Hardy perennial
#8
(10-03-2021, 07:32 PM)Vinny Wrote:
(10-03-2021, 07:09 PM)Small chilli Wrote: I usually grow perpetual spinach without to problem. I definitely don’t put it down to any talent or experience on my part.
That will do for me. Cool £1.30 a packet delivered, can't be bad. I'll give it a go. Big Grin Strangely it is listed as a chard, but who cares, if it looks like spinach and tastes like spinach plus it doesn't bolt, jobs a good un! Cool

It's descended from the same wild plant as chard (and beetroot) - it tastes a bit earthier and, well, chard-like than true spinach and the leaves won't be quite as tender, but it's a lot easier to grow.
How much veg and wildlife can I pack into a 6m x 8m garden in suburban Cambridge? Let’s find out!  Smile
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Broadway Offline
Member
#9
Hello Folks

Is there a case for growing both perpetual spinach and chard or one or the other?
Regards..........Danny Smile
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Bren Offline
Member
#10
Danny I grow spinach, perpetual spinach and an assortment of chard called Bright lights. I've noticed the red chard doesn't get as much slug damage as the others.
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