How to grow Swiss Chard

Where to plant

Grow chard in full sun in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. It is a heavy feeder. In hot summers, some afternoon shade keeps leaves tender, as high temperatures slow growth and can make the leaves bitter.

Chard is a biennial grown as an annual. It withstands light frosts but not hard freezes, though the roots survive colder weather than the tops and often regrow in mild winters.

• Florida and the Gulf South: sow from fall to late winter, plus early spring in the north of the region. It is one of the toughest Florida greens and crops into late spring.
• Texas, the Desert Southwest and California: sow in late winter to early spring and again from late summer into fall.
• Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Plains and the Pacific Northwest: sow in early spring and again in late summer to early fall.
• Northeast, Midwest, Northern Plains and Mountain West: sow from mid-spring and again in late summer for a fall crop, or start indoors 5 to 6 weeks before transplanting.
• Hawaii: sow in the cooler months; Alaska: sow in May or June.

Choosing a variety

• Fordhook Giant is a heavy-yielding, green-leaved chard with white stems.
• Bright Lights and other rainbow mixes have red, pink, yellow and orange stems that are as ornamental as they are edible.
• Red-stemmed types such as Ruby or Rhubarb chard add color to the bed and the plate.

How to plant

1. Work compost or fertilizer into the bed before sowing.
2. Sow seed 1/2 inch deep (1 inch in sandy soil), about 2 inches apart. Each chard seed is a cluster that can give several seedlings.
3. When seedlings are about 2 inches tall, thin to 4 inches apart, eating the thinnings, then thin again to 8 to 12 inches for full-size plants.
4. Mulch to keep the soil moist and cool.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil evenly moist, about an inch of water a week. Dry soil gives tough, bitter leaves and encourages bolting.

Chard has a high need for nutrients. Feed lightly every few weeks with a balanced or nitrogen-rich fertilizer to keep new leaves coming, especially after heavy picking.

Harvesting

Start cutting outer leaves when they are about 8 to 12 inches long, cutting at the base of the stalk. Leave the inner leaves to keep growing, and the plant will crop for months. You can also cut the whole plant back to about an inch above the crown, and it will regrow.

Wrap the leaves in a damp towel or bag and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. Cook stems and leaves separately, as the stems take longer.

Growing in pots

Chard grows well in a container at least 12 inches deep with a good potting mix. One or two plants in a large pot keep a household in greens. Rainbow types look good on a patio.

Using it

Use young leaves raw in salads. Saute larger leaves with garlic and olive oil, add them to soups, pasta, gratins and frittatas, or use them in place of spinach. Slice and saute the stems like celery.