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Some of my spinach seedling have red leaves

tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
in Fruit & veg
Hi all,
I planted some spinach (perennial) seeds that I was given. Half of them have deep red leaves, and the other half have green leaves.
Is this normal!?

Posts

  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Can you post a photo? Perpetual spinach beet is actually chard, not true spinach, so that probably explains it (you've got mixed chard seeds), but worth double checking what it looks like.
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Oh really!?  :D  :D
    I wonder if its two different coloured chards then. Ill post a photo later or tomorrow.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Maybe a bit of cross-pollination?   It'll be fine to eat  :D

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





  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Here are the seedlings. Perhaps Ive stumbled across a new species!?  :smile:



    Also, while Im at it...

    Needless to say I didnt label any of my seedlings becuase I thought Id remember what they are!! Can you confirm?

    Brussle sprouts?



    Cabbage?



    Calibrese?



    Thankyou! :smiley:

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Always a mistake to think you'll remember  :D
    I don't grow cabbages etc, but I think your IDs look pretty good.
    I also think that's chard you have  ;)
    It's a good plant for using as a cut and come again though, and then you can leave some to develop into the full stems for roasting etc. I used mine like lettuce. 
    They can also look quite good in among other planting.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Great, thanks @Fairygirl. 

    Yesterday I potted-on the chard. Should I keep all these plants indoors and well-watered until spring?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd think so. They're tiny wee plants, so will need protected until it's warm enough to have them outside. You probably could put them outdoors once they're big enough, assuming you could get them acclimatised, and that would depend entirely on how much they grow, and what  the weather is like where you are at that point.
    I had a pot of chard I left out over winter last year, but we didn't have what I would call a proper winter here, although we still had our usual weather, snow/frost/ ice etc.  I had it tucked in among other plants and was quite surprised it survived. Different from small plants though.
    If you want to use it though, you'd be better keeping it undercover to keep it growing. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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