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How to Grow Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard
One of the easiest of all vegetables to grow, Swiss Chard is a
good choice for the beginner gardener. The leaves look attractive, deep green with red
or yellow veins make them look particularly attractive. The long
cropping season is another particularly attractive feature of
Swiss Chard.
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SWISS CHARD QUICK GUIDE
Latin Name
Beta vulgaris cicla
Type
Hardy biennial grown as an annual,
often over-wintered
Site and Soil
Part shade or full sun in a well drained soil.
Plant to Harvest Time
9 weeks.
Yield
High. Depends on how the plant is
harvested. |
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Soil and Site
You can grow Swiss Chard in most parts of the garden as long as
it is not in deep shade. The grow well in full sun but will probably
do best if they are shaded in summer during the hottest part of the
day.Neither are Swiss Chard choosy about the soil conditions.
They require a good draining soil but that's their only key
requirement soil-wise. If the soil is reasonably rich in nutrients
then so much the better |
Recommended Variety
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If you are only growing one variety of Swiss Chard then we
thoroughly recommend the variety Bright Lights. The leaves can
be harvested young for use in salads or left to grow larger for
cooking. The main attraction are the stems which grow in colours
from dark red to orange. The seeds are available from Marshalls
by
clicking here. |
Sowing Swiss Chard
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Sow the seeds directly into the ground in
mid-May
. They
can be sown in pots under cover for an earlier crop but the
advantage gained is not much. Sow the seed thinly (5cm / 2in apart)
at a depth of 1cm (½in). If growing more than one row, space the
rows about 38cm (15in) apart. When the seedlings emerge thin them
out at first to 15cm /6in. A week or two later thin the seedlings
again to 30cm / 12in apart. Water them well. |
The seedlings will appear in about 15 days and should be
watered for the first month or so if conditions are dry.
NEXT PAGE, CARE FOR SWISS CHARD |
Gardening Advice Center Share with us your gardening experience!
Name: Carlos R. Arano
E-mail: c_arano@yahoo.com.ar
Date posted: June 03, 2011 - 01:18 pm
Message: Do you have experience in growing Swiss Chard by hydroponics? If you have or you know about it, please let me know.
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