Spinach and Chard – A bit of a disappointment this year

Posted on 19. Jul, 2010 by Tracey in Veg Plot

Now I’m not about to moan at the weather, no not one bit (even though us Brits are famed for it), I’m grateful we’ve had brilliant sunshine for a few weeks (on and off and hopefully still for a few more months yet) however sudden hot weather and hot temperatures are not good for growing spinach and chard.

When you’ve grown vegetables for more than a few years, you begin to realise its not always going to be the best weather conditions that year for all of your vegetables to succeed, there will always be one type of vegetable (or more if you are unlucky) that is not growing so well or a complete disappointment – in my case my spinach, perpetual spinach and chard.

Flower head on Bolting Spinach

I grew Chard in my very first beginners year at growing vegetables and it didn’t grow to its full height but this year I thought I’d try it again with a variety called ‘Golden’ Chard from the Real Seed Catalogue which looked really lovely in their pictures and I was really quite excited to grow.

However this year was not to be for my Golden Chard which bolted even before I got to see anything golden about it.

Spinach Reddy - Bolted

Similarly with my Spinach ‘Reddy’ I did get to pick a few leaves before it went stringy and tasteless and then bolted (flowered and set seed).

I’ve learnt through reading vegetable growing books that if your spinach usually bolts in the summer then try growing perpetual spinach alongside it. As it belongs to the beetroot family and known as leaf beat, it is more likely not to bolt, so you will be getting some spinach out of the seasons crop. I’ve always put this into practise including this year but somehow this year my perpetual spinach has bolted as well!

Which Vegetables have disappointed you this year?

Other Progress Updates on my Plot:

Perpetual Spinach Leaves

• Growing Beetroot – Mid July Update
• June Harvests and Hedgehogs
• Harvesting Radishes – Pretty in Pink
• Vegetable Plot Update for May with Photos

Keep up to date with how my vegetables are growing, tips, advice and what to sow now and next – Sign up to my iGrowVeg Monthly Newsletter here.

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Tags: bolting chard, bolting spinach, growing chard, growing golden chard, growing leaf beet, growing perpetual spinach, growing spinach, growing spinach reddy, progress pictures on plot