Five Reasons to Grow Swiss chard

Looking for a delicious and nutritious plant for your spring or fall vegetable garden that is easy to grow – try Swiss chard!

 

There are many good reasons for adding Swiss chard to your garden - 

 

1) Nutrient rich - A member of the beet family, Chard is grown for its delicious edible leaves and stems. “Nutrient rich” - it serves as an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including but not limited to, Vitamins K, A, C, E, B2 and B6, magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium.

 

2) Easy to grow - Novice gardeners will find it is easy to grow from seed. It is heat tolerant and will outperform other greens. Chard is capable of withstanding light frosts and moderate freezes. With a little care and forethought it can be grown almost year-round in southeastern Texas including the coastal area.

 

Although seed manufacturers suggest planting Chard in full sun, they obviously don’t live in southeastern Texas! Providing Chard with some shade in the late summer afternoon is beneficial in our climate. When overheated Chard will lie down almost flat on the ground – just give it a good watering and it will recover.

 

3) Beautiful plant - Chard is an excellent choice for edible landscape planting in the traditional garden, or in containers and does well in an average soil with some compost and good drainage.  Chard produces thick, dark green leaves; its stems, depending on the variety grown, range in color from creamy white to red, while the “Bright Lights” variety stems display many colors of the rainbow.

 

4) Few diseases or pests - This plant is almost disease and pest free with snails and slugs being the biggest issue. “Sluggo” can very effectively control these pests; it is a natural product based on iron phosphate, which is safe for your family, pets, and other critters, such as birds and bees that may visit your garden.

 

Good companion plants for Chard are beans, Brassica family members (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, etc.), and onions; there are no known bad companions for Chard.

 

5) Prolific producer - Chard averages 12 – 18 inches in height and can be harvested 60 days after planting or when it is about 6 inches tall. Swiss chard is a good “cut and come again” plant - to harvest sever some of the outer leaves about 1 inch above the ground; leave the rest. Occasional harvesting in this manner will encourage the plant to continue producing quality greens for your table long term. Harvest the leaves early in the day.

 

For best results use Chard immediately after it is harvested, although it will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two when placed in a plastic baggie with a slightly moist paper towel. Chard is versatile in the kitchen, equally delicious on its own or used as a substitute for any recipe requiring spinach. Chard is a definite winner both in the garden and in the kitchen!