4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've got 6 spinach plants growing nicely but as I've never done it before I don't know what they're supposed to look like .

 

They seem to be developing little flower buds all up the stems. Do I do anything with them or should they be left there? The plants seem to be very upright with quite small leaves (had some some for breakfast ) - is that normal?

[Snowy]

Spinach for breakfast? Doesn't sound normal to me!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

It does when you're on the South Beach diet . Poached egg on sauteed spinach - surprisingly nice .

[Egluntyne]

I thought of Popeye for a moment there ANH.

 

 

Could it have bolted because of the recent hot weather?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's what I was worried about . Has it had it if it's bolted ?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Just Googled bolted spinach and it seems that's what I've got . I can try cutting off the flowers to prolong it a bit but otherwise it's all over .

 

Oh, well, I got some free seeds yesterday so at least I've got somewhere to put them now .

[Egluntyne]

I'd say so.

 

I'd harvest what you can and put it in the fridge.

 

I'd compost the plants and start again.....or plant something else in its place.

 

I had some that bolted a couple of years ago. I did remove the flower heads on the advice of my neighbour, but as he guessed, they bolted again a few days later.

[chickencam]

Don't compost it feed it to your chooks, they will love it and you will get orange eggs that taste fab. Mine ate all of my bolted perpetual spinach that had sat over the winter.

 

It can be tough to grow spinach in the summer, it bolts very quickly in dry hot conditions. The best crops come from late summer or early spring sowings. We grew perpetual spinach last year which gave us an autumn crop and stood over the winter too. There are some varieties that are better suited for summer sowings, check the seed packets for info.

[Tiggy]

mine bolted whilst we were away but the girls love it so no waste

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Thanks all . I'm sure the girls will appreciate it .

 

As luck would have it, this morning I got a newspaper offer I'd ordered with lots of free seeds (and some herb plugs) including ..... spinach So I'll plant some more and see how that goes .

[Christian]

I tried spinach a few years ago, but despite being on my watering system, it still bolted.

 

perpetual spinach is just as nice if picked young and tender and doesn't tend to bolt as quickly It grows all year and with enough plants (and a bit of fleece) it will keep you in picking all over winter.

 

Let me know if you need some seeds ANH

[Tara.F]

you could also try growing rainbow chard

 

stunningly beautiful plants with vibrant coloured stems (the colours have to be seen to be believed) slow to bolt and very hardy.

Use the leaves as spinach and the stems (young) in salads or older in lasagne and ratatouille etc

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'll have a go at that . Must admit I wasn't keen on the chard we used to get in our veg box but they were massive big leaves (and we got it every darn week too ).

[Milly]

When did you sow it? I sowed some in March and it was really good. I think if you sow in cooler weather it doesn't bolt so quickly.

 

I have sown some more, but something keeps digging it up. Well, not digging up the spinach specifically, just digging holes all over my raised bed. I don't know what it is as I have spare omlet netting all round so it's not cats or rabbits

 

Milly

[Christian]

It'll be those pesky mice Milly

[redhotchick]

Pesky mice

[Valkyrie]

Yep, all my spinach has bolted too.

[Tessa the Duchess]

Same here, my spinach has bolted I managed to harvest quite a few small leaves to blanche and freeze, but I will have to start again I did read somewhere that the perpetual spinach is less likely to bolt than the ordinary stuff.

 

Tessa

[Milly]

It'll be those pesky mice Milly

 

We put a mouse trap in and they just kick dirt over it! And I think they are eating my strawberries - which are still white. It doesn't look like snail/slug damage.

 

Milly

[Tara.F]

you can sow spinach again later in the year to prevent bolting.

In theory...any time after 21st June as from then the nights draw in (really!) but in reality I'd wait a while longer and put them somewhere a bit shady like you would lettuce

[Christian]

I have it marked in my diary Tara, 'SOW SPINACH' at the end of June I can't forget or else the hens will not be happy over winter

[iar fach goch]

Am new to this part of the forum and vegetable growing so please forgive silly questions. What exactly does bolting mean? My perpetual spinach is doing well and is the first thing for me to eat from my veg patch!

[Christian]

Bolting means that the plant has run to seed. With some plants, they completely change taste when they bolt.

[chickencam]

The plants flower and grow very tall and in the case of things like radishes, turnips and other roots the roots become tough and woody.

[iar fach goch]

thankyou!