Sowing and Growing Chard
Swiss chard is one of the forgotten vegetables. It is a leafy vegetable that is very easy to grow and is also called leaf beet or perpetual spinach. Several times can be harvested from one plant; both the leaves and stems are edible. The stems can have different colours, such as white, red and yellow. Chard can be eaten raw, as well as boiled, braised or stir-fried. Definitely recommended for the novice vegetable gardener.
Growing your own chard from seeds
Growing chard is very easy and can hardly go wrong. It is difficult to find in grocery shops, which may make it extra exciting to grow it yourself. Chard is available in several colours, which remain even after cooking. Chard can be prepared in many different ways and is very healthy.
Swiss chard grows quickly, can be harvested for a long time and is little susceptible to diseases or pests. Hence it is also a nice vegetable for the novice vegetable gardener. Both the leaves and stem are edible. By always cutting off only the outer leaves of the plant, you can harvest several times from the same plant.
Sowing and planting chard
Swiss chard seeds are, like beetroot seeds, actually a fruit or seed ball with several seeds. Sowing in the garden can be done from March to August, depending on the variety. Chard plants do not like to be replanted, so sow directly in the right spot. Sow in rows with a distance of 30 cm between rows, a depth of about 1 cm and place a seed in the row every 7-15 cm. After emergence, the plants can be thinned out if necessary. The further apart they are, the larger the plant will grow.
Position and soil of Swiss Chard
Chard prefers a sunny spot. In a hot summer, semi-shade is not a problem either; it can even prevent the plant from bolting. Chard can be grown on any type of soil, provided the soil is not too dry.
How to care of your chard plants
Swiss chard is an easy-to-grow vegetable. Check regularly that the soil is not too dry, as the plant needs a relatively large amount of water. In addition, it needs a lot of nutrients, so fertilize regularly with, for example, compost or an organic fertilizer especially for leafy greens.
When and how to harvest chard?
Chard can, depending on when it was sown, be harvested from May to October. Sometimes even longer, depending on how cold it is in winter.
Cut off only the outer large leaves with stem and leave the inner part of the plant, the heart, to allow the plant to grow further. You can also choose to harvest only the young leaves. Again, the heart of the plant should remain, so that the plant can grow further. Regular harvesting stimulates growth.
How to preserve chard
Swiss chard, like all leafy green vegetables, does not have a long shelf life. Store it in the refrigerator, it will then keep for about 2 days. Swiss chard can be easily frozen. To do this, first wash and then blanch.
Is chard healthy?
Chard is very healthy and, among other things, contains a very high amount of iron. It also contains a lot of vitamins A, B, C and K and potassium, a lot of fibre and is low in calories.
Chard seeds in our collection
We have several varieties of chard in our range. For example, the Chard multicolour ‘Bright Lights’, which is also decorative in any garden. Or the rhubarb-like Rhubarb Chard. Of course, we also have the ‘ordinary’ chard in stock.
Tips to grow chard
Regularly cut off the outer leaves of the plants, this promotes growth. To get bigger plants, you can enlarge the planting distance slightly. If you want to harvest only young leaves, place the plants close together.
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