This handy little leaf is not actually spinach proper but a member of the beet family. Who knew? 🙂

It doesn’t matter though because you can use them just as you would spinach leaves in a raft of dishes from salads to toasted sandwiches and stir fries.

The ‘perpetual’ part of the name is true though and you will get crop after crop.

Growing

Perpetual spinach is easy to grow from seed. I soak them overnight in a jam jar with water in it. Then I liberally sprinkle them over an area of prepared soil that gets full sun. I then cover the area with another thin layer of soil and gently water it in.

I keep the area moist but not waterlogged until the seedlings emerge. After that I water normally.

Pest control:

I use Pyrethrum spray if they are getting attacked by caterpillars, spray this on the top and the bottom of the leaves. My son and I regularly hunt for slugs and snails, both get a squishing and the shells get mixed into the garden beds. Once the plants are going strong though, the best pest control is to harvest the leaves before they get attacked :).

Seven weeks after the seeds went in:

Related Links:

• see more posts using this leaf and spinach proper here
• go to all meal ingredients