Chard, or Swiss chard, is a variety of beet grown for its leaves and stalks - rather than for its roots. Chard does not form a swollen root, as beets do, and its roots are inedible.
Chard is a great plant for your vegetable garden because of the intense colour variations of its thick, crunchy stems. It is available in vivid red, gold, yellow, hot pink, green, orange, and white.
In the kitchen, chard is remarkably versatile. It can be steamed, sautéed, boiled, braised, or eaten raw. When cooking it, treat the leaves as you would spinach and the stalks like asparagus.
Timing: Direct sow mid-April to early August for winter harvests. Plants sown in mid-April will still be productive into the fall.
Optimal soil temperature for germination is 10-30C (50-85F). Depending on soil temperature, seeds germinate in 5-15 days.
Sowing: Sow 10 seeds per 30cm (12”), 1cm (½”) deep and in rows 45cm (18”) apart. Thinning is important as each seed produces several plants.
Growing: Chard prefers loose, deep, and fertile soil that has lots of added complete matter. Keep consistent moisture as plants grow larger. Ideal pH level is 6.0 – 7.0.
Harvesting: Use thinnings as salad greens and harvest outer leaves as needed, when they are more than 6 inches long. Cut the leaves about 1 inch from the ground continually to keep the plants productive.
Protection: Utilize a cloche as cold weather approaches during fall.
Pests and Disease: Watch for leaf miner damage and keep a tidy growing area to reduce damage from slugs and snails.
Storage: Chard is highly perishable, and should be used fresh, if possible. Cut chard can be stored in plastic bags for no more than 3 days.
Companion Planting: Beans, Brassicas, and onions make the best companions for chard.
Chard, like regular beets, is spectacularly nutritious. One cup of boiled chard contains nearly 110% of your daily recommended dose of vitamin A, half the daily dose of vitamin C, and very high amounts of vitamin, E, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron.
Most of all, chard is intensely rich in vitamin K, which contributes to blood coagulation, bone metabolism, and vascular health.