Your comments and tips

25 Mar 09, Ken, Blue Mountains, NSW. (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

To Emily, 14 Oct 08, it will be birds picking at the lovely green leaves. It looks a bit unsightly but they will probably get over it and leave the plants alone. If it persists, you could try making a cover out of some chicken netting and covering your plants. Get a piece of chicken netting about 2 metres long, double it over, lengthways and tie the edges, then 'balloon' it out so that it sits over the plants, and so protecting the plants from the birds.

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09 Apr 09, Meg (Australia - temperate climate)

I have small green caterpillars destroying my silverbeet and also having a go at the beetroot leaves. I can't seem to get on top of them even though I've sprayed a couple of times. Does anyone have any suggestions? Especially anything organic or natural, since I'm partly growing veges to minimise the pesticides on our food.

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17 Apr 09, Judy (Australia - temperate climate)

I've grown silverbeet quite a lot in the past, but in my new location on the Central Coast of NSW, I'm finding that it has a disease which looks like little brown dots/spots all over the leaf. Anyone know what this is please - could it be a fungus type problem? Thanks, help would be appreciated. I'm an organic grower, so any remedies need to be non-toxic. Thanks. Judy

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23 Apr 09, Jackie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Regarding cooking silverbeet in milk. Here is my favourite way to cook it: Chop the washed leaves & stems finely. Saute in melted butter till leaves are softened, add some milk, salt & pepper. Gently cook with the lid off until stalks are thoroughly cooked, leaves are mushy and liquid has evaporated. Serve on hot toast. This takes quite some time but the result is yummy! It is even nicer with a good knob of cream cheese melted into it just before serving.

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29 May 09, Tricia (Australia - temperate climate)

Meg, try this spray, it seems to work for me! place 4 garlic cloves crushed 1 lemon squeezed and cut in a 2 litre jug, pour over hot water, allow to go cold strain. Spray your leaves lighly once a fortnight, not much seems to like the spray and it doesn't affect the taste.

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02 Jun 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Judy - the brown spots might be caused by broad mite, which came into my garden this summer (Sydney) with all the heat and humidity. Apparently they're a QLD mite and don't seem to have predators yet down here, but I've had some success again broad mite using Eco-oil which doesn't hurt the beneficial insects. Tricia, the problem with garlic is it also kills off lacewings which are an important predator of aphids, mites, thrips, etc. Spraying with garlic works in the short term, but not good for the long term battle against pests because it reduces the number of helpful predators.

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31 Mar 15, rodney (Australia - tropical climate)

I have silve rbeat growing good but then something is eating them leaving big holes in the leaves, I can not see anything on them . what can I spray them with

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21 Jun 09, Colin (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Cooking silverbeet, wash thinly shred whole leaf, stem and all, wash and cook/steam until ready. No need for extra water if just washed. Drain well and chop in colander with saucer or blade, add salt and pepper to taste , good knob of butter and splash of brown vinegar. Delicious. I am a cook by trade and this is my preferred way, never used nutmeg or milk.Enjoy

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04 Aug 09, Sylvia (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Silverbeet/chard Mediterranean style: chop & steam the stalks gently until tender, then add the roughly chopped or torn leaves. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, then leave a couple of minutes until the leaves are wilted. Drain then toss through a splash of good olive oil, pinch of salt, black pepper, then a squeeze of lemon or lime. Serve warm or cold. Magnifico!! Also great the next day fried gently with eggs mixed in.

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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

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