Questions regarding spinach which I think has gone to seed, picture included

 


Hi again everyone, just to remind you again that I'm a complete
beginner, this
is only my second year gardening. I don't even fully
understand the term 'gone
to seed' however my spinach plants have grew
long and spindley & I spotted some
seedlike things close to the tops of
the plants. Last year I had great success
with 'perpetual spinach' in
fact it was so successful I ended up with far too
much spinach, this
year I planted a variety called 'bordeaux.' Is there nothing
I can do
for the plants at this point, should they just be disposed of? Also
would it be too late to plant a few 'perpetual' spinach plants, as they
can
thrive well into the winter. Any advice is very welcome.

[image:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn141/freedom_spark/IMG_0811-1.jpg ]




--
Freedom_Spark

 


They're putting up flower spikes - the seedlike things will be flower
buds. Flowers are a necessary precursor to seeds and fruits.


You can probably still pull off some of the leaves for eating, but the
flower stems will be inedibly tough.

If plants get too stressed, eg by lack of water, they often react by a
final attempt at reproduction, ie by putting up a flower spike.


Still fine to sow seed. Have you tried chard? - like spinach, but with
broad central ribs to the leaves which can e cooked separately (they
take a few minutes longer  than the leaves). Available with ribs ina
range of clours - white, yellow, orange or red.

--
Kay

 

K wrote:


I much prefer chard for it's bolt resistance compared to spinach. The
leaves are very similar culinary wise. Spinach seems to run to seed at
the drop of a hat. Chard is one of my regular veg items now. Ideal for
cropping over Winter and early spring when there isn't much choice. I
like it chopped up fine and steamed and then mixed in a cheese sauce and
served with pasta dishes. It can also be chopped fine and stir fried
with other vegetables. It is also a nice side dish on its own steamed
then with some butter mixed in it.

--
David in Normandy.   DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
   To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
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The trouble is, chard does not taste like spinach.  Spinach has a strange,
almost salty taste, and is quite ethereal, whereas good old chard is fine
for chopping up and frying as 'Espinaces Catalanas' where you add to frying
olive oil pine nuts, garlic, strong cheese and so on.  Or in Chinese
stir-fry dishes.

But spinach is more divine.

All my spinach has bolted, but I'm letting them go so I can get the seeds
and sow in Sept/Oct when it will be cooler.  We have a lot of chard >sigh<
so I will be using that for the rest of the summer.

someone