Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. cicla 'Perpetual Spinach'

RHS Plant Profile

spinach beet 'Perpetual Spinach'

Synonyms

Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens 'Perpetual Spinach'

Annual Biennial

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An annual vegetable with large, dark green ribbed foliage and thick, edible stems. Looks and tastes like spinach but shows very good resistance to bolting, even in dry conditions. Sow March-August, and harvest all year round as a cut-and-come-again crop. Young leaves can be harvested for salads within around 8 weeks

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Amaranthaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Clump forming
Genus: Beta can be annual, biennial or perennial plants, often with rosettes of basal leaves and thick, fleshy roots. The genus includes a range of wild species, as well as cultivated food crops such as beetroot, chard and sugar beet
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. Add compost or well-rotted manure in the autumn and keep watered in dry conditions. See spinach cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Pruning

No pruning required. Remove outer leaves when large enough

Pests

May be susceptible to birds, cutworms, lettuce root maggot, root aphid, root knot eelworm and slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey mould, lettuce downy mildew, mosaic virus and ring spot