[jelizabeth]

Hi, we've just moved into a house with veg beds. We are beginners but learning as we go. In one of the beds there are two rows of a leafy vegetable but we really are not sure what they are! Can anyone help us??

[snowdrops]

Can't really make them out but looks like there might be some white flowers on,am I right,are they white with black flowers, if so they are broad beans

[snowdrops]

Scrap that,just managed to enlarge it, could be Somme sort of leaf beet, chard maybe?

[JayG]

My guess would be perpetual spinach starting to run to seed, (not very different from chard, but I'll stick with that until outvoted!)

[jelizabeth]

Thank you, I thought they were running to seed. We didn't want to use them as I don't like not knowing what I'm eating! Should I cut the tops off or is it too late for them?

[BumbleJo]

Yes, definitely perpetual spinach, I had some just like that had bolted, pulled it up a couple of days ago.  Didn't really rate it for flavour.

[Trikidiki]

Perpetual Spinach isn't Spinach at all, it is a variety of Chard. Once it has bolted it isn't much more use than compost fodder the leaves will be very coarse. You can chop it down to ground level and it will re-shoot with more young leaves. I only grow it to fill space over winter and as greens for the chickens.

[jelizabeth]

Thank you everyone, will cut it down.