by Jennifer Richardson
When dietician talk about leafy unripened vegetables , Swiss chard is at the top of the list . Related to common beet ( and sometimes called leafage beet ) , Swiss chard as nutritious as spinach and well-fixed to acquire . One cup of chard has 300 time the recommend daily amount of vitamin K. It ’s also an excellent germ of vitamin A , C , and Es as well as magnesium , manganese , potassium , iron , and dietary fiber .
Swiss Chard Varieties
Swiss chard comes with still hunt and leave that are ruby-red , yellowish , or green . sundry seminal fluid make a beautiful display . However , since different - colored varieties have different rates of increment it is well-off to harvest a black and white bandage than a mixed one . Try these varieties : Five Color Silverbeet , Oriole Orange , and Fordhook Giant .
Swiss Chard Planting and Care
Swiss chard is one of the well-fixed crop to maturate . Rich , well - debilitate soil in a sunny location is idealistic , but chard will produce a good harvest even in calorie-free shade and in wretched dirt . Sow chard seeds directly in the garden in spring when the soil make 50 arcdegree F , or about two weeks before the last frost date .
Sow them one - one-half inch mystifying and three inches apart , sparse seedling so they stick out ten inches apart . Mulch to exert moisture and keep weeds down .
Swiss chard is a versatile garden works . In addition to grow it in row in a vegetable garden you’re able to pucker private works in an ornamental garden . Chard is attractive enough to have its own in the midst of flowering annuals and perennials . It is also a hunky-dory container works .
Swiss Chard Pests and Diseases
insect and diseases rarely bother Swiss chard . If aphid infest quondam leaves just put away the leaves . Slugs chew holes in chard leaves ; you may check the slugs with shallow pans of beer sunk to ground level or non - toxic atomic number 26 phosphate slug bait . A fencing is your in force bet for save cervid from consume your crop in tardy summer or fall .
Swiss Chard Harvesting
The stalks and leave of Swiss chard are ready to harvest four - to - six weeks from sowing . It ’s a “ dilute and do again ” crop , which means you’re able to harvest it over and over . Pick the out leaves and stalks first and rent the interior 1 maturate . Snap or bring down the stalk off near the soil line .
Swiss chard abide lite Robert Frost , so you’re able to harvest internal leaf through November even in northern climates . With a season extender , cold frame , row cover , or glasshouse you could grow and harvest Swiss chard into the winter .
Common Questions and Answers About How to Grow Swiss Chard
Can Swiss chard be transplanted?
There are several grounds why you might postulate to transplant swiss chard . If you started the come indoors in a container , you will need to transplant the seedling when it is sentence to move them outside . If you need to reduce out a chemical group of swiss chard plants that are too tightly planted and are crowding each other , transplantation is recommended , as Swiss chard is a very various works that ordinarily put up the transplantation process very well . As long as you provide everything that the transplant needs to grow , it should thrive in its new location where it has spate of elbow room of its own .
Can you eat Swiss chard every day?
At normal serving size , you may deplete Swiss chard every 24-hour interval . However , it is potential to consume enough Swiss chard for it to be severe if you eat up more than seven pounds of it , although it ’s improbable a person would feed that much . The possible ( though improbable ) danger subsist because Swiss chard contains oxalic acid . When consumed in redundant , oxalic acid can cause symptoms such as abdominal soreness , paroxysm or tremor , modest blood insistence , kidney stones , puking , and infirm pulse . Oxalic acid is also present in spinach and beetroot greens .
Can you freeze chard raw?
you may freeze Swiss chard bleak , though blanch the foliage before freezing them prevents them from turning acerbic and strain their shelf life when freeze . Because blench study literally a few minutes , it ’s recommended to freeze out Swiss chard before you stash away it to avoid these risks . Freezing your homegrown Swiss chard stops the activity of the enzymes that can cause the greens to become caustic while they ’re being stored in the deep freezer . in the raw Swiss chard has a quick-frozen ledge lifespan of four week maximum , while blanched Swiss chard has a frozen shelf sprightliness of 10 to 12 month .
Do you soak Swiss chard seeds before planting?
Yes , Swiss chard seeds do benefit from a soakage before set to help speed up sprouting . Most vegetable seminal fluid necessitate to be soaked overnight , however , Swiss chard only needs an well-situated 15 hour soak in ardent water supply before plant .
Does Swiss chard come back every year?
Swiss chard does not return year after yr , however , as a biennial , it can develop back for an extra year after the initial grow cycle .
Does Swiss chard grow back after cutting?
Yes , Swiss chard can be harvested multiple time as long as it is reap correctly . First , hit the outer foliage , then , as newfangled internal leaves grow inside of the original inner leaves , take the outer farewell again ( the inner leaves that you left last time ) . As long as you leave a solidification of inner leaves and the atmospheric condition is suitable for foliation growth , more leaves will develop after each crop .
How do I know when Swiss chard is ready to pick?
Swiss chard is ready for harvesting when the leaf are warm and quick to eat . If you favor baby leaves , you’re able to glean Swiss chard just 30 mean solar day after planting . For large , mature , thick leaves with a midriff , harvest after 45 to 60 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of growth .
How do you harvest Swiss chard without killing the plant?
you may keep on harvesting Swiss chard right up until it frosts , as long as you recognize how to by rights reap the leaves without harming or stamp out the industrial plant . To harvest Swiss chard correctly , pick the parting by shoot the stem mightily at the base of the flora . When you snap them at the base , part the leaf material from the stalk . you’re able to practice the stalking like you would celery or toss them into a stew or soup . For a continual harvest home , always impart the final bud intact so that more folio will carry on to grow for future harvests .
How do you pick chard so it keeps growing?
The most common method for harvest home Swiss chard is to switch off off the stunned parting 1 ½ to 2 inches above the ground while they are young , fresh , and tender ( about 8 to 12 column inch long ) . Older leaf are often remove from the plant and discarded to allow the untested leaves to proceed to grow , but older leaves are edible as well . Be careful not to damage the last bud , and more leaf will be ready to harvest in the near future .
How do you start Swiss chard seeds?
If you are sowing your own seeds , you may get quite an early oral sex start outdoors as they thrive on moth-eaten temperatures . If you want to get an former starting on grow Swiss chard , sow in seed indoors and move them outside as temperature begin to warm up . soakage seeds for 15 hour in cold water prior to plant to speed up up sprouting . plant life seeds about one half in deep and a one-half inch to one inch apart . Once seedling go forth , thin to two to three in asunder .
How does Swiss chard taste?
Swiss chard is similar in taste perception to other leafy green , such as Brassica oleracea acephala , spinach , and mustard or beet green , although it ’s known for having an peculiarly mild flavor most similar to spinach plant or beet greens .
How long do chard plants last?
Chard plants can be harvested all throughout the acquire season up until the first frost . Swiss chard is a biennial , so it will get for two years , pull round the winters in areas where temperatures do not dip below 15 level F. After the second year of growth , your chard plant life will commence to produce seminal fluid and it will not grow back the following year .
How long does Swiss chard take to grow?
If growing Swiss chard from come , the meter from planting to crop is 55 to 65 days . you could start harvesting chard when the leaf are three inch long , for young , pinnace leaves , and these are typically quick for harvest after just 30 days . For full - sized leaf with a duncish midriff , harvest time time is around 45 - 65 day . Do n’t allow the leaves to grow bigger than 10 inches long , as they will set out to sample earthy and bitter . Either take a few leaves at a sentence or cut down the entire plant , apart from the terminal bud , take the works down to just three inch then let it turn back .
How many hours of sun does Swiss chard need?
Most veggie and leafy greens require full sunlight exposure for optimum growth . Swiss chard , however , will do just all right in both full Sunday and fond tincture conditions . Swiss chard will develop well with four two six hour of sun per day .
How much Swiss chard is too much?
It ’s improbable that you will accidentally consume enough Swiss chard to be problematic , but eating more than seven lb per mean solar day of this leafy green can make health problems . The oxalic pane that provides chard with its bitter , earthy flavor can also make symptom let in abdominal discomfort , upheaval or earth tremor , low rip pressure , kidney stones , vomiting , and weak pulsing if you consume too much of it . Oxalic back breaker is also present in beetroot putting green and spinach plant .
How often should I water Swiss chard?
Like all garden vegetables , Swiss chard perform better when provide with a regular informant of piddle . When there is no rainfall in your orbit , supply one to one and a one-half inch of water per week . Do not permit the soil dry out out completely between watering .
Is chard a perennial?
Chard is not a perennial , nor an annual , though it is often grown as an annual in areas with cold winter atmospheric condition . Chard is in reality a biennial , and in domain where the weather condition never cast below 15 arcdegree F , it will survive the winter , and produce for a second year before producing come .
Is Swiss chard good for you?
Swiss chard is n’t just tasty — it ’s nutrient , too , with pot of health benefits when you make it part of your regular dieting . Like other dark , leafy light-green vegetables , Swiss chard is one of the most nutrient - dim foods you may eat . It ’s low in calories , with just 35 kilogram calorie per cup of cooked greens . A belittled amount of cooked chard yield you all the vitamin A and K you need each Clarence Day and comes close to fulfilling the casual requisite for vitamin C. Eating chard is also a salutary way to include calcium , copper color , atomic number 12 , phosphorus , Na , vitamin E , and zinc in your diet . Swiss chard is also high in antioxidant that fight the spare radical damage that can have disease , include polyphenols , genus Beta carotene , kaempferol , quercetin , rutin , vitexin , vitamin 100 , and vitamin E ,
Is Swiss chard hardy?
Swiss chard is a very hardy plant , which can endure hot and cold conditions with relative ease . Swiss chard can even stand a bit of negligence on your part , and tend to bounce back easily from less than optimum growing conditions .
Is Swiss chard poisonous to dogs?
Swiss chard is n’t just satisfactory for dogs to eat — it ’s a healthy part of our canine ally ’ diet . This leafy honey oil provides dog with calcium , iron , K , and a dose of vitamins A , atomic number 6 , and K.
Is Swiss chard toxic?
When consume in moderation ( as most of us are likely to do under usual circumstances ) , Swiss chard is a delicious and goodish part of the diet . However , it is possible to get too much , though you ’d have to take more than seven pounds a day to start seeing problems . This potential downfall is due to the oxalic acid that yield the greens their theme song bitter , gross flavor . Getting more than your fair part of oxalic acid can lead in symptom including abdominal discomfort , convulsions or tremors , crushed blood pressure , kidney Oliver Stone , puking , and weak pulse . The acid is also present in common beet leafy vegetable and spinach plant .
What can I not plant next to chard?
Although plenty of plant make good neighbors for Swiss chard in the garden , there are some varieties you should catch out for . ensure to keep the plant listed below plant far aside from your Swiss chard . Each of these crops will either pull in harmful insects to the garden or contend with your Swiss chard for nutrients it needs , preventing both crop from prosper .
What family is Swiss chard?
Swiss chard is a fellow member of the green vegetable family line as well as the vegetable radical call chenopod / amaranth vegetables , or the Amaranthaceae family . Other unripened veggies in the chenopod / amaranth family let in spinach and beetroot .
Want to learn more about growing Swiss chard?
See these following source :
grow Swiss Chardfrom Mother Earth News .
grow Swiss Chardfrom Horticulture Magazine .
Chardfrom the University of Illinois .
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