Chard (Swiss chard)
How to sow chard successfully outdoors?
To sow chard outdoors, it's best to wait until early spring, when the risk of frost has passed. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Before sowing, weed and loosen the soil by working it with a spading fork.
Chard seeds can be sown in rows about 30 cm apart. Sow the seeds about 2 cm deep and cover lightly with soil. Be sure to water the soil well after sowing, without drowning the seeds. The soil should remain moist but not soggy.
Be sure to thin out the young plants once they have reached a few centimetres in height, leaving a space of around 20 cm between each plant. Chard plants appreciate being ridged to encourage root development.
Watch out for pests such as slugs and aphids, and favour natural methods to keep them at bay. Chard plants are hardy and easy to grow, so by following these few tips you should get a good harvest.
How do I harvest chard?
Chard, also known as chard or pear, can be harvested from June until early autumn. To harvest them, it is important to cut the leaves at the base, leaving a small piece of stem to encourage regrowth. You can harvest the leaves as you need them, or cut the whole plant at once. Chard can be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge for about a week. If you want to keep them for longer, you can blanch and freeze them. Chard plants prefer rich, well-drained soil, so it's important to water them regularly in dry spells. For a natural crop, opt for crop rotation and mulching to nourish the soil and limit disease. By following these tips, you'll be able to enjoy delicious chard all summer long.
Chard (Swiss chard)
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Leafy vegetables
- Botanical Family : Chenopodiaceae
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Biennial
- Exposure : Partial Shade
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
- Adult Height : 40 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 1 cm
- Plant Spacing : 50 cm
- Row Spacing : 50 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Seeds
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : High
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Sowing