{"id":2436,"date":"2019-06-10T03:24:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T03:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2436"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:22:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:22:41","slug":"14-steps-from-sowing-to-harvesting-swiss-chard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-steps-from-sowing-to-harvesting-swiss-chard\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Steps From Sowing to Harvesting Swiss Chard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Swiss chard is a part of the beet family, which thrives in warm and cool temperatures. Swiss chard is high in Vitamin A and C and can be eaten cooked or raw. It is known for its rainbow-colored leaves. It is an easy vegetable to grow, which is ideal for new gardeners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to sowing and harvesting, you will need to know the right time to do it for swiss chard. You don\u2019t want to wait too late or harvest it too early. Before sowing swiss chard, you will need to find a sunny spot in your yard. The soil that you will need to use needs to be fertile and moist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to drench the soil, but it should be moist. Before you start sowing, place down organic fertilizer over the soil and mix it together. There are eight steps to go by when it comes to sowing and harvesting swiss chard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Sow the seeds anytime between spring and late summer. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Swiss chard does well in warm and hot temperatures. By the time the summer ends, you should begin harvesting in the fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you purchase Swiss chard seeds, make sure you get them from a local nursery or by mail through a gardening company. That way you know you are getting high-quality seeds. The seeds that are in the grocery or department stores are made to have a long shelf life. It will cause the Swiss chard to not grow at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have purchased seeds from grocery or department stores, you may have wondered why they didn\u2019t grow. Swiss chard seeds aren\u2019t expensive. You\u2019ll just need to buy enough so that you can continue sowing until late summer. When you sow, you only need to sow a small bunch of them since you will be sowing them often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Use a trowel to make the holes in the ground. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some people use their hands to sow, but it\u2019s best to use a trowel. You can get deep into the soil and see where your seeds are going. When you use your hands, the seeds get lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the trowel you can make the holes as deep as they need to be. For Swiss chard, they need to be one inch deep with 16 inches left for additional rows that you may need. Don\u2019t use a spoon either. A spoon has to go in your mouth and since you are digging in the soil, even though, you\u2019re washing it, you don\u2019t want to use the same spoon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A trowel is inexpensive and you can purchase it along with the seeds. With a trowel, you can use it to cover the seeds up with more soil. There the trowel can be used to transfer the seeds into the soil as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Space the seeds about one to two inches apart. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Use a measuring tape, if you are unsure how many inches that is. Measuring tape will be a vital tool when you begin gardening. Everything has to be just right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you space them too close together, then the Swiss chard will be jumbled up. Once you place the seeds into the hole, water the spot. This allows the soil to settle. This will allow the seeds to germinate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on how large you want your garden, you\u2019ll need to have many rows for the Swiss chard. A new gardener should start with three rows of Swiss chard to get a hang of how they grow. When you water the soil, pat it down gently with the trowel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything you sow, use your measuring tape to get the spaces just right. Once you finish spacing, you can feel confident in knowing your Swiss chard will grow perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Thin the Swiss chard out once the seedlings start to appear. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thin them until they are one foot apart from each other. By not thinning the Swiss chard, they will be clumped up and not be good to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for thinning the Swiss chard is that each seed contains a clump of several seeds that may sprout. It will take time to thin them out, but after all of your hard work, you will have a fresh, crispy Swiss chard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have to make more rows of Swiss chard since they have to be one foot apart. Use your measuring tape, if you don\u2019t know how far a foot is. Once you finish sewing, you will need to start harvesting the Swiss chard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chard will be ready to be cooked or eaten raw. You will just need to wash them off thoroughly with hot water to get rid of bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Cut the chard when they are between six to eight inches tall. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you cut the chard, cut the outer leaves about one and a half inches above the ground. If you don\u2019t know when to cut the chard, check them off to see if they are the right size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use your measuring tape to be sure that they are the right size to be a harvest. When cutting the chard, use a knife. You don\u2019t want to rip them. You\u2019ll bruise the chard and won\u2019t be any good to eat. You want to be gentle with the chard. If you don\u2019t have a knife, use scissors. Use scissors that won\u2019t be used for anything else, but gardening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find gardening tools at your local nursery or hardware store. Cut all of the chard that is ready to be a harvest. You don\u2019t want to leave them because they\u2019ll turn color and rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. Choose the older leaves when cutting. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Leave the younger leaves to continue growing. You will know the older leaves from the younger ones by their size. The older leaves will be large. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The younger leaves will allow you to harvest a second time. As stated before, you can harvest as many times you want to. As long as it\u2019s before the fall. If you wait until the fall to harvest you have to be quick about it because the chard won\u2019t have the same taste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019ll take a bunch of older leaves to make a meal out of it, especially if you\u2019re cooking for several people. The Swiss chard will shrink once you start cooking them. Even though they will shrink, they will taste good and fresh. You won\u2019t be able to wait until the next harvest rolls around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to continue checking the younger leaves because they can grow fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. Cook the Swiss chard when you\u2019re ready to eat them. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t wait too long to eat the chard because they will lose that fresh and crispy taste. When you cook chard, cut the rib of it and cook it like asparagus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the leaves can be cooked like you would greens. The leaves can be eaten raw as well. before cooking the chard, sit them in the sink in a hot water. Let them sit for five to 10 minutes. This will get rid of bugs and dirt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give them a final rinse once you are ready to cook them. You don\u2019t want bugs and dirt rolling around in your pot of greens. Season the chard any way that you want to. You\u2019ll need to cook a lot of them to make a meal because they will shrink. Your family will want to come back for seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. Store them in the refrigerator in a ventilated plastic bags, such as grocery bags. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t place them in the freezer because they will just get ice on them. The chard won\u2019t be any good to eat once they are frozen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people think that if they freeze the chard they will last longer. They\u2019ll clean and put them in the freezer and they have a lot of ice on them. When you cook the chard, they will be mushy and not crispy. You don\u2019t have to tie the plastic bag. You will need to eat the Swiss chard as soon as you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t eat them within a week, they will lose their flavor. They may start to turn color because they are left in the refrigerator for too long. That\u2019s why it might be a good idea to have a small garden, so you won\u2019t have too much chard just sitting in the refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n