Thanks, good to have this clarified. I, too, have been guilty of (lazily) repeating the two year mantra but, of course, now I think about it, what you say makes complete sense.
I've heard some people say that some biennials - chard in particular - can be treated as perennials if the flowers are removed every year. But I've never seen any hard evidence for this. Do you know if this is true? (But I have seen chard bolt and flower just six weeks after sowing - stimulated by a cold snap, I think).
You've opened a can of worms with the horticultural habit of chard.
Most strains/varieties act kind of like biennials. A few, however, come close to being actual perennials, some are definitely short-lived perennials, while others act like frustrating annuals (depending on the skills of the gardener).
They're part of a larger group of descendants, beginning with selection many centuries ago, from Beta vulgaris subspecies maritima, the Sea Beet, a true, long-lived perennial. Those perennial genes mostly got lost in the selection process, starting centuries ago.
This ancient group includes garden beet (beetroot); the leaf vegetable known as chard (what is known in Europe as "spinach beet”); sugar beets; mangelwurzel, an oddball fodder crop; and the silverbeet (or what we Americans call ‘Swiss chard”).
Then there is something among these called “Perpetual Spinach.” It’s probably a dead-end line directly from the sea beet or maybe from the chard-spinach beet group, but the term has been used erroneously for some Swiss chards in America. Whatever the case, the true perpetual spinach is available from specialty seed companies and it does live for more then two years in the garden.
I do suspect that some American/Swiss chards do go on for more than one year, depending on the climate/weather and the care of the gardener (harvesting by plucking off outside leaves rather than harvesting the whole plant certainly encourages longer life).
I’ve seen no independent, blind, variables-eliminated studies on whether whacking off flower heads encourages perenniality, though, neither in chard nor any biennials. Weather plays a more important role.
Thank you for your detailed and full answer - very interesting. It’s quite a confusing mix of similar but different plants and with lots of different names! And interesting to learn more about its history and origins.
It was an unfair accusation at the time and still is. I’m grateful you’re still educating.
Thanks Sandy.
Thank you. So very clear and educative. No, did not find any mansplaining. Appreciate all that you so generously share.
Thanks!
I do find that folks really don't get biennials so lovely to meet another fan of them! I love your scientific explanations and the list! Bravo!
Thank you and thank you.
Thanks, good to have this clarified. I, too, have been guilty of (lazily) repeating the two year mantra but, of course, now I think about it, what you say makes complete sense.
I've heard some people say that some biennials - chard in particular - can be treated as perennials if the flowers are removed every year. But I've never seen any hard evidence for this. Do you know if this is true? (But I have seen chard bolt and flower just six weeks after sowing - stimulated by a cold snap, I think).
Thanks for reading the article Mark.
You've opened a can of worms with the horticultural habit of chard.
Most strains/varieties act kind of like biennials. A few, however, come close to being actual perennials, some are definitely short-lived perennials, while others act like frustrating annuals (depending on the skills of the gardener).
They're part of a larger group of descendants, beginning with selection many centuries ago, from Beta vulgaris subspecies maritima, the Sea Beet, a true, long-lived perennial. Those perennial genes mostly got lost in the selection process, starting centuries ago.
This ancient group includes garden beet (beetroot); the leaf vegetable known as chard (what is known in Europe as "spinach beet”); sugar beets; mangelwurzel, an oddball fodder crop; and the silverbeet (or what we Americans call ‘Swiss chard”).
Then there is something among these called “Perpetual Spinach.” It’s probably a dead-end line directly from the sea beet or maybe from the chard-spinach beet group, but the term has been used erroneously for some Swiss chards in America. Whatever the case, the true perpetual spinach is available from specialty seed companies and it does live for more then two years in the garden.
I do suspect that some American/Swiss chards do go on for more than one year, depending on the climate/weather and the care of the gardener (harvesting by plucking off outside leaves rather than harvesting the whole plant certainly encourages longer life).
I’ve seen no independent, blind, variables-eliminated studies on whether whacking off flower heads encourages perenniality, though, neither in chard nor any biennials. Weather plays a more important role.
Thank you for your detailed and full answer - very interesting. It’s quite a confusing mix of similar but different plants and with lots of different names! And interesting to learn more about its history and origins.