Spinach Bizet F1

The Bizet F1 Spinach is a high-quality vegetable variety that is very slow to bolt. It is intended for late spring and summer cultivation. The sowing period extends from April to July for a harvest from May to August. Its large dark green leaves can be consumed raw or cooked.

Traditionally mistreated by school catering services, spinach is certainly the most dreaded vegetable by children. However, it is a tasty herbaceous plant that can be prepared in a thousand ways: raw in spring salads, in Japanese fritters, quickly cooked in a wok, or even in a savoury tart with small pieces of goat cheese.

Originally from Iran and belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, like Beetroot and Chard, spinach is widely cultivated around the world, both for its flavour and its nutritional qualities. While the famous Popeye has long extolled its iron content, it is its remarkable vitamin B9 content that stands out.

There are many varieties of spinach that require either short or long days in order to prevent them from bolting too quickly. Each variety corresponds to a specific research area that should be respected: spring and/or autumn, winter, and even summer. Some varieties have spicy seeds and are traditionally intended for spring or late autumn sowings. By carefully choosing your seeds, you can have this vegetable all year round.

Some varieties are labelled as "hybrid F1" or simply "F1". These are varieties that result from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This produces varieties that can be particularly flavoursome and/or early while also being resistant to certain diseases. F1 hybrid seeds are therefore very interesting for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, these qualities do not pass on to the next generation, so it will not be possible to save the seeds for the following season.

Spinach prefers consistent, moist, and rich soils, especially in nitrogen and potassium. They thrive in partial shade and even in shade in the hottest regions.

Harvest: Spinach is harvested leaf by leaf, depending on their growth and needs. The leaves located around the base are cut, which allows the heart to continue developing and producing new leaves. The entire plant is only harvested when it shows the first signs of running to seed.

Storage: Spinach does not keep very well in the refrigerator as it tends to soften. It is best consumed a few hours after harvest. However, you can freeze it after blanching it for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.

Gardener's tip: Did you know that spinach can be used as a green manure? Sown in autumn at a rate of 30 grams per square meter, it has the ability to absorb and store the nitrogen present in the soil. This way, it is preserved and not leached away by winter rains. A good way to recycle a packet of seeds forgotten past its expiration date!