Perpetual Spinach

I sowed some perpetual spinach in June. The name perpetual spinach almost put me off trying it. It sounds like a condition! "Oh, did you hear, Mr Davies was diagnosed with a bad case of perpetual spinach. Poor soul."

I can't remember exactly whether I left them outside or germinated them inside, but either way it didn't take long. Within 3-5 days the first seedlings were popping through.

I was so impressed with how well it grew. I let it grow to this point before I took any leaves. It looked so beautiful I could hardly bear to cut any off!

 I wasted a lot of seed as I sowed far too many. But I gave some plants away to one of my friends, so it wasn't a total waste. I'll know for next time to sow thinly. I'm learning all the time!

Looking worse for wear

As a result I didn't buy any salad from the shops for the rest of the summer, just from 9 plants. I don't think I'll ever buy salad from Tesco ever again. It was far more fun popping outside to grab a few handfuls whenever I needed some, rather than buying an oversized bag that I've rarely ever managed to finish. By the time salad leaves reach Shetland, they are always a few days older than they would be if you bought the same bag on the mainland. In no time they go soggy. Growing your own salad just makes sense. Plus its stupidly easy.

A plant in the ground for comparison.

Seeds!

I've since let the plants go to seed. They're looking pretty sad now, probably a combination of the plants coming to end of their lives and the fact that I haven't fed them for more than a month. There can't be any goodness left in the soil of the shallow tray they're living in.
I'm hoping I'll get some seeds before the wind blows them away. It would be much more satisfying to grow it next year from my own seed rather than buying them again.

Definitely one of the best successes I had this year.