How to grow Chard?
- Latin Family: Chenopodiaceae
- Latin Genus: Beta
- Ease of Growing: Easy
- Growing Type: Biennial
Chard is the same species as Beet, but is grown for its foliage rather than the root. It is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, very productive, little bothered by pests or disease and resistant to both heat and cold. It is an almost foolproof cool weather potherb for the small garden. Chard is cultivated in much the same way as Beet, though it is somewhat easier to grow as it only has to produce edible foliage. Chard can also be grown as a decorative plant for the whole family to enjoy in the garden and one the kids can enjoy harvesting.
Chard History
Chard is a relative to Beets, although it does not have the large beet root. Introduced into Britain in the sixteenth century, and in America soon after, the oldest varieties have been used along the Mediterranean for centuries. It was referred to as Swiss Chard to distinguish it from French spinaches in 19th century seed catalogs, probably because the varieties they were marketing came from Switzerland.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 6.0 - 7.0
- PH Ideal (min/max): 6.2 - 6.8
Chard has a deep, strong root system and is able to seek out the nutrients it needs, consequently it can grow well in fairly poor soil. However for highest yield it does best in a fertile garden soil, rich in [humus], well drained and not too [acidic].
How to care for Chard?
Chard is a robust and undemanding plant. Keep it well fed and watered and it should produce abundantly. Be mindful of pests (birds/slugs/snails) that will eat your seedlings during the beginning of growth. Use some type of cover over them to prevent pests. In summer, the chance of Leaf Miner damage is high. You can grow Chard in warm temperatures, but since the Leaf Miner damage is so bad, it's better to wait until cooler temperatures come.
Water
Chard is relatively drought tolerant as a plant, though for highest quality and yields it should be well supplied with water.
Fertilizer
Chard is a fairly hungry plant and will be most productive in a fertile soil.
Seeds
Seed Viability: 3 - 5 years
Germination Percentage: 60.0
Chard is cross pollinated by the wind, so must be isolated from other varieties (and from Beets). This means having only one variety flowering at one time (ideally within a distance of two miles, though this is not always practical unless you have a very big garden).
Chard is a biennial, which means the root has to survive the winter before it can produce seed. In mild climates, you can simply leave them in the ground (cover with mulch if necessary). In colder climates you may have to lift the roots and store them in a root cellar, as described above. Replant the best roots in spring and the seed will ripen by midsummer. A flowering chard plant may get to be 8 feet tall and can be quite top heavy, so is often staked to prevent it from falling over.
You will get a lot of seed from one plant, let alone 5 plants, which is the minimum number required to maintain some genetic variability.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
In cool climates it needs full sun for maximum production of foliage.
Conditions:Cold, Cool
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Part shade
Chard doesn’t like heat, so in hot climates it should be grown in part shade. It is one of the most shade tolerant of common crops.
Conditions:Warm
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
For longer term storage Chard can be frozen like Spinach. This is useful for those times when the plants are producing far more than you can use immediately.
Storage Req: Freezer
Storage Temp: 32°F
Storage Length: days
Use the leaves immediately after harvest, as they are thin and don’t keep for very long (only a few days in the fridge in a plastic bag).
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-5 days
Problems
Bolting
Chard is a biennial, but sometimes it will [bolt] in its first year. This is most often caused by [vernalization], but may also be caused by drought, crowding or other stress. If a plant bolts there’s not much you can do except pull it up (you don't want to save seed from prematurely bolting plants).
Chard Types
- Chard
Chard is a type of Beet that is grown for its edible foliage. A cool weather crop, it is undemanding and easy to grow.
Pests
- Cabbageworms
- Flea Beetle
- Birds
- Leafhoppers
- Aphids
- Armyworms
- Leafminers
- Slugs and snails
- Groundhog
- Rats and Mice
- Gophers
- Deer
Diseases
- Curly Top
- Cercospora Leaf Spot
- Damping Off
- Downy Mildew
Related Plants
Greens, Juicing
Sprouts
Seacale
Kohlrabi
Collards
Anise
Caraway
Cumin
Cauliflower
Culantro