Is Perpetual Spinach really perpetual ?

[Primrose]

I've had a small patch of Perpetual Spinch growing all winter. It's the first time I've grown it although I always grow Swiss Chard. The Perpetual is showing no signs of going to seed and I wonder whether it simply goes on growing indefinitely. I'm picking leaves regularly and wonder whether this is what it does, or whether I need to sow fresh seed now.

[alan refail]

Hi Primrose

The short answer is no. Like its other beet relatives at is a biennial, so will go to seed this year. Do a forum search on "perpetual spinach" and you will find more information.

[WestHamRon]

Hi Primrose

The short answer is no. Like its other beet relatives at is a biennial, so will go to seed this year. Do a forum search on "perpetual spinach" and you will find more information.

Ours went to seed last year, what about this year ?

[PLUMPUDDING]

I was wondering about this too. Both mine went to seed last year - their first year, one has died over winter, but the other is still OK.

I wondered if it behaved more like sorrel which keeps coming up every year and you just remove the flower stalks when they appear.

The information on the web classes it with Swiss chard which I know is a bi ennial so I'll just have to wait and see. The plant doesn't look the same as my chard plants though. Perhaps mine is the New Zealand spinach which is a different family.

[alan refail]

Plumpudding

What you've got is definitely not New Zealand spinach - dead at the first hint of frost.

We had a bit of a "discussion" a few years ago about NZ spinach - tetragonia. See HERE