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27 Nov 17 Don (Australia - temperate climate)

I have young silver beet in a raised outdoor bed, leaves are approx the size of the top of a cup and they are all going to seed. What is the best way to handle?

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29 Nov 17 Tanya (Australia - temperate climate)

I don't think there is anything you can do to stop them going to seed. These thou I find just usually self sow (so just let them go) and more will come up. (I have silverbeet all year round in that bed and I don't replant them)

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27 Nov 17 Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

How fertile is the soil. A plant once it has used the fertiliser in the soil will go to seed to reproduce itself. I haven't grown silver beet for 20 odd years although a fellow has some growing in the Men's Shed gardens I look after. He has just started to pick them the last week. These were planted after a crop of lettuce and once the SB were established from very small seedlings I gave them a little hit up with fertiliser. I use a little Tupperware cup of fertiliser (7cm across and 4cm deep) into 9 liters of water - leave for a few hours and give a good stir. I used that 9 L to water 7 SB, 12 climbing beans, 4 Ceylon spinach and 6 rock melon plants. YOU could pick the seed head off and give them a fertilizing - but I think it might be too late.

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25 May 18 Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Thanks for this Mike. Great helpful reply. I planted spinach a few weeks back from seedlings. Doesn't look like the silverbeet I grew up with but they're slowly doing well (touch wood).

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