Silverbeet Rainbow Chard (Beta vulgaris cicla)

Silverbeet is so easy to grow and so good for you everyone should grow it.

Silverbeet is highly nutritious and can be used in the same way as spinach. It is full of vitamins particularly K and minerals. It is also very low in calories.

Grow this plant where it receives at least 6 hours of full sun per day. Soil needs to well drained and enriched with organic matter. I dig through aged compost before sowing my seeds. Seeds are sown in most places in Australia during autumn and spring. As the seeds are large, I direct sow (15mm deep and 20-35cm apart). Give the seeds a good watering after sowing them. Then keep the soil moist not wet. Mulch (I use sugarcane) and protect from snails and slugs. Seeds germinate at temperatures from 10 to 30C. Once seeds have germinated, avoid watering the leaves of plants to avoid fungal diseases.

Silverbeet should be ready to harvest in approximately 50-90 days. I grow silverbeet mainly for its leaves which I use both raw and cooked. I start harvesting when the plants are dense with good size leaves. Only remove a few leaves from each plant each time you harvest. Plants need at least one third leaves to stay viable.

Since you can grow silverbeet almost year round, I don't store it. But silverbeet can be blanched then frozen.

For those with fussy eaters, silverbeet can be finely chopped and added to dishes like casseroles. It will break down and no one will know it is there.

Seeds currently available.

$5.00 - 60 open pollinated seeds

$4.00 - postage within Australia

Email to order - fascinatingbotanicals@gmail.com

Payment - Bank Deposit or Paypal