Mature silverbeet plants growing in expanded clay balls in waist high benches. In the background are asparagus plants growing in a bathtub which is resting on the ground.
Silverbeet is a particularly good crop to grow in hydroponics and is successful in a variety of growth media. You can buy seedlings from a garden centre or grow them yourself from seed in a small container of perlite. Once they are large enough to handle, the plants are transferred to a shallow bed of expanded clay balls.
They can be grown all year round in a greenhouse in temperate climates and they mature rapidly. If harvested correctly then half a dozen plants will provide enough silverbeet for a small family for many months. The leaves should never be cut from the plant. Instead of cutting them, one or two leaves should be carefully torn away from the outside of the plant at each harvest. The more neatly this can be done the longer the plants will last, although eventually they will go to seed and have to be replaced.