SEED TYPE : Open Pollinated

PLANT TYPE : Perennial

LEAF RIB COLOR :  White

SOWING TIME : All Season

SOWING METHOD : Directly from seed

GERMINATION TIME : 6 -12 Days

GROWING CONTAINER : 8 inch Pot / Garden Bed

GROWING MEDIA : 1 part  Garden soil 1 part Cocopeat 1 part Vermicompost.

HARVESTING : 45 Days after sowing.

DESCRIPTION :

Swiss chard should be a staple of any vegetable garden. Nutritious and tasty, it comes in a range of vibrant colors that makes it worth growing even if you don’t plan on eating it. It’s also a cold weather biennial, which means it can be started early in the spring and counted on not to bolt (usually) in the heat of summer.

Direct sow Swiss chard about a week after the last spring frost, planting it 1/2″ deep in compost-enriched soil in full sun. For harvesting the entire plant, space the plants 4-5″ apart; for continual harvesting of the outer stalks, space the plants 8-10″ apart for larger growth. For a continuous summer crop, plant more Swiss chard every two weeks. Germination should occur in about a week. Swiss chard can survive light frosts, and can be planted as a fall crop.

Keep the soil evenly moist and weed free with a layer of mulch. Moisture is especially crucial to the seedlings in the first stages of their growth.Once the seeds have sprouted, thin them to one seedling per plug. Transplant them out when they’re 2 to 3 inches (5-7.5 cm.) tall. If you’re planting directly in the soil, plant your seeds 3 inches (7.5 cm.) apart. When the seedlings get to be several inches tall, thin them to one plant every 12 inches (30 cm.). You can use the thinned seedlings as salad greens.

Individual leaves can be harvested for greens as soon as they reach a height of 6-8″. The whole plant can be cut at the surface of the soil, but to ensure continued growth and another harvest, leave an an inch of stem. Outer stalks can also be harvested individually, leaving the heart to grow.