Beta vulgaris subsp. Maritima, Sea Beet - Ancient edible & medicinal herb, Wild ancestor to beetroot, leaf beet, perpetual spinach, swiss chard & wild relative of sugar beet, used as both food & medicinal Herb, Leaves can be picked all the year around. Its thick, pointed leaves (& reddy stems) are glossy with wavy margins, with a pleasant texture & taste, serve raw or cooked in any recipe that calls for cooked spinach. Hence its common namf ‘Wild Spinach.’ Ht: to 1 mtr, thrives along shores & estuaries with same height flowers thru the summer. Will not tolerate Shade, but able to tolerate high levels of salt or just as happy in well drained garden soils, Hardy perennial, down to about - 18°C, Leaves can become bitter in late summer but the plant can be chopped down end-Julyish to give a flush of fresh new leaf. Seed Count Approx - 40 to 50 avg
SOWING - When sowing outdoors, plant the seeds 2-3 cm deep in pots from mid- march in full sun or open ground mid april (No shade). likes rich, moist well-drained spot, add organic matter to improve drainage on clay. A perennial, so sow somewhere sensible. It does not like to dry out, will tolerate salt and do just as well in normal gardens. Keep trimmed like Chard