Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Leggy spinach?

Shoxt3rShoxt3r Posts: 196
in Fruit & veg
Hi all,

We've had a good crop from our spinach plants so far this year which were grown from seed but it seems in the last week or so they've been getting a bit leggy.

Any ideas why this may be?



Thanks in advance!

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Are they from last year? They look as if they’re bolting. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    I agree with Dove from above it looks like they have bolted,sowed perpetual spinach last October and I am still picking mine some of it has begun to bolt but I keep cutting it and remove the seed head and its perfectly alright in stir fries and salads also steamed.Its the same with chard it keeps coming the more you cut it the more it comes again.I have found that perpetual spinach and chard do a lot better and less likely to bolt than the summer spinach,because the weather isn't as hot and dry and less watering you have to do. Regards Peter
  • Shoxt3rShoxt3r Posts: 196
    Hi both,

    They are indeed from last year - I planted them around September I think and they didn't really do a lot until recently.

    Is there anything I can do to get them going again?

    Thanks!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2020
    They’re biennials and die after they’ve flowered and set seed. 

    I’ve just sown a new row of Swiss Chard (see pic above ... similar but hardier than normal spinach  and with better flavour than perpetual spinach) and will sow some more in a couple of weeks. 

    We’ll be picking that in the autumn, then put a cloche over and pick through the winter, and again through the spring until they flower. 

    The trick is to get the watering right, not soggy but never let them dry out or they’ll bolt straight away



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Shoxt3rShoxt3r Posts: 196
    Ah, so time for some new seeds in that case. Seems that I've over-watered them then or maybe a combination of watering and the heavy downpours we've had.

    I'll check the drainage of the growbags I have as well.

    Thanks for the help!
Sign In or Register to comment.