[bigjemmett]

visited the plot today and my spinach has gone very tall - am guessing it's gone to seed? what do i do?!
thanks
r

[Yorkie]

If there is a flower stalk coming out of the top of the stem, yes it's going to seed / bolting.

The leaves will become increasingly bitter and the plant is coming to the end of its lifecyle, so harvest the remaining few leaves and pull it up.

You may have success if you start off some more seeds, although they're not keen on the heat of summer.

[Trillium]

If it's tall and you see potential seed heads, then rip it out and plant your next crop. Spinach always bolts in warmer weather so its done for the summer. The leaves will turn more bitter as the weather heats up. While a bit tougher, chard is a good substitute for spinach and doesn't bolt through summer heat.

[Swing Swang]

Chop it down, if it's chard it will soon grow back again. Not called perpetual spinich for nothing!

[Paul Plots]

There are "baby-leaf" varieties of spinach that can be sown through the summer. These make good salad leaves or can be left to grow larger for cooking.... just before they run to seed.

Successional sowing helps to prolong the harvesting season. I start mine off in cells (in the same way as I grow beetroot) and then plant out more on the plot as it's needed. Seems to work well.  

[viettaclark]

Chard and perpetual spinach (or leaf beet) won't bolt the first year. Just keep on cutting! They will both go through the winter then flower (bolt) the next spring. Perpetual spinach does not have the wide stalk of the chard that is so good in cooking.
By bolting time you should've planted some more ready to go in!
Continuous greens..... :happy: