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(Best months for planting Silverbeet in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

• Easy to grow.
• Harvest in 50-85 days
• Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
• Space plants: 15-30cm

Edible dark green glossy leaves with wide white or cream stalks produced over a long period. Both leaves and stalks are eaten. This is a cut and come again plant, providing leaves for some months before going to flower. Can re-sprout from around the base if cut off when it starts to flower.

Reasonably frost and heat tolerant. Grows well in most soils. For prolific growth apply compost, or well-rotted manure. Resistant to most plant diseases.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Silverbeet

Wash thoroughly and inspect the back of the leaves for insects.
Chop and put in a saucepan with very little water ( or just what is on the leaves)
Cover and cook over a low to medium heat until the leaves collapse.
A small amount of nutmeg enhances the flavour.

Your comments and tips

16 Aug 09 Ray (Australia - tropical climate)

I have a lovely crop of silverbeet growing but when we cook/steam it, it goes black and looks unedible. Never have this problem with bought silverbeet. Tried different cooking times but still goes black

10 Sep 09 floody (Australia - tropical climate)

i just had the best crop of beet ever. plenty of chook poo in the soil and blood and bone mixed up in styro vege boxes with water every arvo .

30 Oct 09 Tim (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi, I have some coloured silverbeet in punnet trays that I want to plant out - it is quite leggy, maybe 2.5 cm or so to first leaves. Anyone know if the stems can be buried up to the first leaves like broccoli etc or should I leave the stems above the ground as they are?

14 Nov 09 Vicki (Australia - temperate climate)

Something is eating my silverbeet, it has holes in the leaves and has like black spots up the stems, these have not been sprayed prefer to go natural? Nothing else has been eaten, i even have some in a polystyrene box not too far away and is ok? We live in wide bay qld. Any ideas, Many thanks. Vicki

15 Nov 09 Drasjic (Australia - temperate climate)

just wondering if laying silverbeet leaves directly on the beds around plants kinda like a mulch is an ok practice??? or will it harbour pests beneath them

03 Dec 09 Raelene Mcmahon (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

hi i have just started planting silverbeet, which i havent never grown before. do you have any ideas when to harvest it Raelene

30 Jan 10 Dee (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Raelene. I'm new to growing silverbeet too. I have a great crop going at the moment and just cut the outer leaves off as I need them. I've found I need to water them every day or they get droopy, and have had to keep a close eye on them as the grubs love them. Ive been told that you can cut the whole plant at once - maybe someone else can give some idea on that one?

01 Feb 10 gary (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Raelene and Dee, With silverbeet you can harvest and use the outer leaves leaving the central ones to continue growing. We tend to harvest them when they're around 20-30cm long including the stem. The older outer leaves can get a bit tough.

07 Feb 10 Dee (Australia - temperate climate)

Many thanks for the tip Gary!

15 Feb 10 Sophie (Australia - temperate climate)

Why do silverbeet stems sometimes turn grey after being cooked?