How to Grow -Swiss Chard
5 May 2012, by gj
Swiss Chard is a healthy, attractive and easy to grow crop for both young and old.
The seeds are larger than those of most veggies we grow for greens, making them easier to handle.
easy to handle seeds
Chard can be planted mid-spring, as it handle some cold weather.
For a continuous harvest, make successive sowings.
It also will not bolt in the summer heat, so you’ll be finding yourself eating it long after the lettuce and spinach have gone to seed.
as pretty as a flower...
Because it is an easy veggie to grow (push the seed in the soil, water, walk away), and the multicolored stalks are so exciting to see- it is a perfect plant to use when gardening with kids.
... or simple and unassuming
And the best part?
Swiss Chard is extremely healthy.
It is a relative of beets, and although getting anyone (including my husband and adult son) to eat beets may prove impossible, getting someone to eat chard is much easier!
You can enjoy the leaves and stalks raw when they are small, just cut and more leaves will grow.
As they get bigger they can get a bit bitter, cooking gets rid of that taste.
don't tell them it is healthy
My daughters tell me they like the Chard we grow better than spinach- that works for me.
Just use it the same way you would use spinach.
Botanical name: Beta vulgaris
Yield: An abundance of greens and stalks per seed. Chard is a ‘cut and come again’ crop, don’t pull the plant until it is done producing, just cut what you need.
Storage: Fresh pickings don’t store long. Chard can be frozen or pressure canned.
Some recipes to try:
Beets And Chard
Curried Greens with Cauliflower
Quinoa and Greens
Nutrition info from Wikipedia.
Categories: swiss chard
