You can't beat silverbeet

Silverbeet, you just can’t beat it for a good vegetable companion plant.
It’s full of vitamins, it grows well, it’s great for filling empty or tight spots in your garden, and
it’s perfect for planting in pots too.

Planning on planting some winter brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli? Silverbeet does well in
between rows of brassicas because it’s ready to harvest earlier and it grows tall rather than out.

The key to planting silverbeet is making sure your soil is well drained. If its a bit sluggish try
building it up into mounds. Or, if you’re planning on planting it in a pot, which I highly
recommend, use a good potting mix.

I particularly like growing coloured silverbeet in pots because it can add a bit of colour to your
garden or entrances during winter. It’s well suited to pots because it’s not quite as frost hardy
as regular silver beet and likes full sun. Plus you can put it in a spot that’s easy to get to without
getting wet and cold!

Once you’ve decided what variety you’d like, get down to your local supermarket, Bunnings or
The Warehouse and grab some of Awapuni Nurseries’ Traditional Value or Pop’n’Grow seedlings.
Alternatively, you can purchase our seedlings from our online store at www.awapuni.co.nz. If
you order six or more items online we’ll also deliver for free to a non-rural address, or for just
$4 to a rural address.

Both seedling ranges are grown with strong individual root systems. But Pop’n’Grow seedlings
are perfect for beginners and kids, because they’re packaged in strong biodegradable pots that
protect the roots, making them guaranteed to grow.

And, Traditional Value seedlings are perfect for the budget-conscious gardener because the
seedlings are wrapped in recycled newspaper, so the value is in the plants and not the
packaging.

Planting beet is easy. Dig a little hole and place the seedling inside. Whether you’re planting
them in your garden or pots, simply space the seedlings around 20cm apart.

Depending on the condition of your soil your silverbeet will be ready to harvest in around eight
to 12 weeks. If your soil is well composted and free draining you’ll be looking at more like eight
weeks. I like to harvest my coloured beet when it’s still young and add to a spinach salad.

Lastly, watch out for snails and keep them away with some quash or our tried and true beer bait.

Tod Palenski
Awapuni Nurseries
www.awapuni.co.nz