Spinach-Beet Greens/Bietina/Bieta Seeds - (Beta vulgaris spp.)
- SKU:
- V1131
- Seed Count:
- Approx 100 seeds per pack
- Days to Maturity:
- 60 days
- Days to Germination:
- 5-10 days @ 55-80F
- Light Preference:
- Full sun or partial shade
- Plant Spacing:
- 10-12"
- Status:
- Heirloom, Non-Hybrid, Non-GMO seeds
Description
Spinach-Beet Greens/Bietina/Bieta - Gourmet Flavor
Spinach-Beet Greens, also known in Italy as Bietina, Bieta or Bietola, have large soft, green leaves on very thin stems on bushy 2' plants. This unusual and highly regarded chard is very productive, incredibly sweet and tender. It has been a favorite of Chicago Italian families for generations, always quickly selling out in the farmer's markets.
This warm weather spinach substitute withstands heat, producing well until heavy frost. Pick outer leaves to get a constant supply of tasty greens from May through fall.
Spinach beet green leaves look similar to Swiss chard however the stems are thinner and the exceptionally tender leaves are smooth, not puckered. Unlike other chards, it has a sweeter, more spinach-like flavor that lingers pleasantly on the palette. Unlike spinach, it is never bitter and grows vigorously from early spring through hot weather into fall, even withstanding light to moderate frosts. It over-winters, unprotected, down to about 10°F and comes back productive and sweet the second year.
In 1869 The American Horticultural Annual remarked: Not altogether a new variety, deserves to be better known.
History
Both leaf beets and root beets were developed possibly by the Romans from the wild sea-beet, which occurs in coastal regions of Europe and western Asia. Swiss Chard is the same species as the garden beet root and sugar beet but is grown only for its leaves.
Uses
Used by chefs and home cooks for fresh salad greens as well as boosting soup and stews. The thick but tender stalks are edible as well.
Growing Tip
Swiss Chard does not bolt in hot weather the way spinach does. It also is great in cold weather surviving many frosts.
Learn More
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1 Review
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Spinach-Beet Greens (aka perpetual spinach)
This is a great discovery for me! In the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest New Mexico it is difficult to get in a spinach crop before it bolts. This is actually a type of chard, which is a leaf form of beet, but it lacks the funky, dirty pond water taste larger chards can get, and really does taste very much like spinach, both raw and cooked. It is a great performer year-round, producing through summer heat and winter cold. Really, what more could you ask? Oh, wait! Cut-and-come-again? Well, yes! Just harvest the leaves from the outside and it will keep cranking out more for your continuing use. I will ALWAYS include this in my garden in the future, and I recommend you give it a try. I do not think you will be disappointed.
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