Perennial spinach

[Forage420]

I bought some perennial spinach cuttings last year from a garden centre and it's grown almost as well over the winter as it does in summer. Slugs leave it alone, all that's needed is netting to stop the birds from stripping it. At the coldest of times it droops, but there has been no foliage die off at all.

Questions is : do I need to do anything for it? Can I just start picking as and when I fancy it? Secondly, is this quite a rare find? I've never seen perennial spinach before then, or since. I wouldn't mind finding another half dozen or so and packing them into the same bed. They are a very efficient plant in terms of effort/reward. I've really gone off growing veg that is very suseptible to frost so perennial 'anything' is always of interest to me.

[mrsbusy]

is it the same as spinach beet?

[Chris11]

is it the same as spinach beet?

Possibly Perpetual Spinach, also known as spinach beet?

https://www.seedparade.co.uk/lettuce...200-seeds.html

I've got some spare seeds as part of my giveaway if anyone wants any.

[Zelenina]

I've never heard of perennial spinach that can be grown from cuttings. Are you sure they weren't seedlings? As others have already mentioned, there is something called perpetual spinach which is in fact a leaf beet and is grown from seeds.

[bario1]

Do you mean perennial Kale?

[Bren In Pots]

I've grown it in the past but didn't get a very good crop compared to ordinary spinach.

[roitelet]

No spinach is perennial. The only plant that is a bit like spinach is sorrel but it doesn't taste quite the same.

[Mr Bones]

Any chance you could post a photo Forage

[Forage420]

Here you go guys, what do you think this is ?

[bario1]

Spinach beet. I don't think it's perennial though, it ought to go to seed at some point?

Actually, it could be white chard on closer inspection...

Sometimes spinach beet is called 'perpetual spinach'...

[Forage420]

Yes you appear to be right they both have now seeded. Can I cut these back or are they too far gone and need to be dug out and composted?

[Jay-ell]

You could try cutting them back to the base and see what happens - generally one they start to flower that's all they want to do.

P.S. there are a few perennial spinach substitutes such as Good King Henry, Malibar Spinach and (possible) New Zealand Spinach.

[veggiechicken]

Lots of options - depends on whether you like it or not!
Cut it down and let it regrow (perhaps)
Let it self seed in situ
Dig it out and start again.

I have a permanent chard bed that I leave to do it own thing - its flowering now. (The yellow flowers are asparagus kale - not chard)