VEGETABLES > CHARD > seed
IN THIS GUIDE
SWISS CHARD GUIDES
maturate From SeedHarvesting
Swiss chard , or leaf beet as it is commonly known , is a biennial vegetable that is well eaten in its first year of growth .
Growing Swiss Chard from seed is an easy operation and can be sown direct or undercover to implant out later on , depending on your requirements .
Watch this short television from Emily Cupit where she sow Swiss Chard in her garden at home :
Here ’s a simple process for spring up Swiss chard from seeded player :
This unconscious process is explain in more astuteness below :
When To Sow Swiss Chard Seeds
Swiss chard seed can be sown directly into the land from spring until summer or in an unheated greenhouse from a footling earlier .
It can also be sown under screening in the autumn to crop the following year .
1) Harvesting Chard Seeds
Swiss chard seeds can be collected and stored from flora in their 2nd year of growth , to save until spring to sow in .
“ I do n’t typically preserve chard seeds as I remove the craw at the end of the time of year to train for next season ’s sowings , ” say Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly .
“ With a small vegetable garden , I prefer to use the space to grow as many crops as possible in succession . I , therefore , tend to rely on purchasing seminal fluid unless they can be harvested in the first year ( such as tomatoes ) . ”
To collect the germ , allow the seed stalk to dry and wait until the seeds are completely brown before harvesting and storing in a cool , dark and teetotal environs .
2) Fill Shallow Pots
From leaping onwards , once the earth is workable and has warm up a little , the sow area can be organize by crease to a okay tilth .
Chard favor a rich soil , so adding some well - waste manure or garden compost to the soil the late season can be beneficial .
If sow clandestine , module or come tray can be filled with a peat - free multi - purpose compost ready for sowing .
3) Sow Seeds
Swiss chard seeds are fairly turgid and easy to handle making them a good plant for growing with nestling .
Sow the seeds severally in module cell or lightly in seed tray and water in well , being careful not to displace the seed .
If sowing lineal , the semen can be inseminate at the same depth in drills or hole , but at a spacing of 10–15 cm asunder and again watered in exhaustively .
4) Growing On
Keep the ground moist and once germinated and large enough to handle , plants started off undercover can be pricked out into individual batch or planted out in their last position .
With direct sown Swiss chard , the seedling need to be thinned to a last spacing of 30 cm to countenance the plants room to grow as they mature .
As the fresh works get on , go on to keep the soil moist and a bed of mulch can be tote up around the plants to facilitate conserve wet and suppress weeds .
If picked as lowly leave , successional sowing every 2–4 calendar week will provide a bountiful supply – or if harvest as large leaves and sowing in natural spring and then one later in summertime should suffice .
