Chard Perpetual Spinach

Average seeds per pack - 200.

Perpetual Spinach, also known as Leafbeet Chard, is a leafy vegetable that belongs to the same species as chard and beets. It is a biennial plant that is grown as an annual for its big crinkly leaves. The plant has small stems and exceptionally tender leaves that are smoother, not puckered, and flatter and more pointed than chard, with slimmer stems. The taste is more like true spinach than ordinary chard, imparting a spinach-like flavor that lingers pleasantly. Perpetual Spinach is more heat-resistant than spinach and can produce more food in a small space than anything else. It is more winter-hardy than Swiss Chard types and can withstand light and moderate frosts. It prefers well-worked soil with good drainage and a high organic content and does not like acid soil. The crop needs enough water to keep the leaves growing quickly, so keep the soil moist at all times. The leaves can be prepared like spinach, and its stalks like asparagus. In fact, its leaves serve as a good substitute for spinach in most recipes, but they will need to be cooked slightly longer. The plant can be grown from seed and usually produces by 50 days.