Garden ⁄  Fruits & Vegetables

Grow leafy winter greens

Boost your health by sowing spinach and silverbeet for a homegrown harvest in just 10 weeks
By Artemis Gouros

True or English spinach, Spinacia oleracea, is a fast cropper that is mostly grown in cool or cold regions.

In warm areas it tends to bolt to seed so is grown as a winter crop.

Silverbeet, or Swiss chard, actually belongs to the beetroot family and its botanical name is Beta vulgaris cicla.

It’s often mistaken for spinach but has thicker stalks and larger, darker, coarser, more crinkly leaves.

Silverbeet also has a longer cropping period than spinach and does better in warm areas.

Rainbow silverbeet, or rainbow chard, is a coloured variety with striking red, pink, orange and yellow stalks.

Growing spinach

Growing spinach
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Spinach likes a position in full to part sun in well-drained soil enriched with well-rotted compost or manure.

Cool soil temperatures are needed for successful germination, so soak seeds in cold water overnight before planting to speed up the process.

Sow seeds thinly to 12mm deep in rows 300mm apart.

For a constant supply, sow seeds every three to six weeks, depending on the variety.

Water spinach regularly so that the plants don’t dry out, and apply a liquid fertiliser every two weeks to encourage fast growth.

Pick young outer leaves for salads or harvest from 10 weeks by cutting off the head or pulling the whole plant.

TIP: Pale green, limp leaves indicate the soil is low in nitrogen.

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Choose a spinach variety

Choose a spinach variety
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

1. Bloomsdale

  • Large, crinkled, rich green leaves
  • Compact growing habit
  • Heirloom variety

2. Medania

2. Medania
Handyman Magazine
Medania
  • Thick, rounded, dark green leaves
  • Sweet and earthy flavour
  • Reliable cropper

True or English spinach, Spinacia oleracea, is a fast cropper that is mostly grown in cool or cold regions.

In warm areas it tends to bolt to seed so is grown as a winter crop.

Silverbeet, or Swiss chard, actually belongs to the beetroot family and its botanical name is Beta vulgaris cicla.

It’s often mistaken for spinach but has thicker stalks and larger, darker, coarser, more crinkly leaves.

Silverbeet also has a longer cropping period than spinach and does better in warm areas.

Rainbow silverbeet, or rainbow chard, is a coloured variety with striking red, pink, orange and yellow stalks.

3. Viking

3. Viking
ww.mrfothergills.com.au

Viking

  • Tasty dark green leaves
  • Grows best in a shady spot
  • Slow to bolt to seed

4. Grow silverbeet

4. Grow silverbeet
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Silverbeet can be grown any time of year in a frost-free location but it does not like hot, dry conditions.

SOW seeds thinly to 12mm deep in rows spaced 300mm apart, thinning to one plant every 400mm.

WATER silverbeet plants regularly, especially in dry weather.

MULCH to help retain soil moisture and keep plants weed-free. Spreading a layer of lucerne hay will also prevent the leaves getting gritty from soil splash.

FEED with a seaweed liquid fertiliser every two weeks to encourage fast growth. If plants are slow to grow they can taste bitter.

HARVEST the outside leaves when the plant has at least six leaves, cutting or twisting them off from the base. Picking young leaves in this way encourages more to grow and keeps the plant cropping for months.

How to sow seeds in a drill

How to sow seeds in a drill
Handyman Magazine

Planting vegetables and greens in straight rows in drills, or grooves, makes it easier to locate emerging seedlings and distinguish them from weeds.

Step 1 (above). Mark the rows

Mark the rows using landscape pegs to secure garden string in straight lines the correct distance apart.

Make a shallow V shaped groove with a hoe.

True or English spinach, Spinacia oleracea, is a fast cropper that is mostly grown in cool or cold regions.

In warm areas it tends to bolt to seed so is grown as a winter crop.

Silverbeet, or Swiss chard, actually belongs to the beetroot family and its botanical name is Beta vulgaris cicla.

It’s often mistaken for spinach but has thicker stalks and larger, darker, coarser, more crinkly leaves.

Silverbeet also has a longer cropping period than spinach and does better in warm areas.

Rainbow silverbeet, or rainbow chard, is a coloured variety with striking red, pink, orange and yellow stalks.

Step 2. Sow the seeds

Step 2. Sow the seeds
Handyman Magazine

Sow the seeds in the drill grooves by hand, cover lightly with soil and water in gently. Always sow more than needed and thin out later.

Penne with borlotti beans and silverbeet

Penne with borlotti beans and silverbeet
Handyman Magazine

Once you’ve harvested some of your greens, put them to good use.

If you are a fan of silverbeet try this easy and delicious winter recipe.

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