{"id":2469,"date":"2019-06-10T03:39:08","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T03:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/?p=2469"},"modified":"2020-01-22T09:35:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-22T09:35:17","slug":"14-important-things-to-know-when-growing-chard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardener.guide\/14-important-things-to-know-when-growing-chard\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Important Things to Know When Growing Chard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Swiss chard also known as chard is one of those types of vegetables that thrives when the temperature is cool. During the spring and fall is when Swiss chard grows the best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will grow in the summer too because it can tolerate the high temperature, but it will grow slower than in cooler temperatures. It may not have the same taste as it would if you waited until the cooler months. Swiss chard is in the beet family, but people cook the vegetable like greens or eat it raw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you begin growing chard, there are eight important things that you will need to know. Swiss chard won\u2019t grow perfect unless you grow it right. When it comes to growing vegetables there are things that you should and shouldn\u2019t do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By following the rules, your Swiss chard will taste crisp and fresh. It will taste better than store-bought chard, which has been laying out for days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Grow your chard in flower pots or modules before transferring them to the ground. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Place chard seeds a few inches apart from each other. Since they need to be in the sun, you can move them to a sunny area. Once the chard grows a few inches, you can transfer them to the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you place the seeds in the pots or modules, use high-quality soil. The soil needs to be well-draining with compost. If you use bad soil, add in fertilizer, such as 10-10-10. Since they will be in modules or pots, you\u2019ll need to keep the soil moist. They don\u2019t need to be drenched, but water them every day if you need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a good idea to place them outside when it rains so that it\u2019ll help in the watering process. If the soil gets too dry, your chard won\u2019t germinate. They need water to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Plant chard seeds two to three weeks before the last frost in the spring. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The chard will thrive in cool temperatures. Depending on what area you live in, you\u2019ll need to find out when frosts occur. Sometimes frosts occur without you knowing it, especially if you don\u2019t keep up with the weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to stay in tune with the weather when you become a gardener. You\u2019ll need to know when is a good time to plant and not a good time to plant. You\u2019ll just need to check on them often to be sure that they are germinating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To increase your harvest, plant seeds every 10 days for a month. Make sure you space them out each time you plant them, so that they don\u2019t grow on top of one another. When they grow on top of one another, they don\u2019t have a crisp taste and some are no good to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Buy chard seeds by mail or a local nursery. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The grocery store sells seeds, but there\u2019s are no good. They are made to have a long shelf life and won\u2019t produce any chard. They\u2019ll just have you waiting to see when they will germinate and nothing will happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying from mail or your local nursery gives you peace of mind in knowing you are getting high-quality seeds. They will produce chard, if you grow them correctly. When you buy chard seeds, you may want to wait until you are ready to plant them. That way they\u2019ll be fresh to plant into the ground or modules. If you do buy them early, store them in a cool area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no need to place them in the refrigerator because they\u2019ll get wet. When ordering by mail, they will send them to you when it\u2019s time to plant chard in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Mulch the Swiss chard to help the soil retain its moisture. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mulch keeps insects away from the chard. It also makes the garden look decorative. Mulch strengthens the roots so that the chard will develop correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many types of mulch. If you don\u2019t know what kind to use, always as someone at your local nursery. They are experienced in gardening and should have the answer you\u2019re looking for. When you place the mulch over the chard, place it evenly over the soil. Try not to disturb the seeds when placing it down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since mulch retains moisture, you won\u2019t need to water it every day, unless it\u2019s hot. The soil doesn\u2019t need to become dry or it\u2019ll cause your chard to not grow. When your chard is ready to harvest, you will need to take the mulch up. Take your time when taking it up because you don\u2019t want to ruin the chard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Fertilizer doesn\u2019t need to be used unless you notice your chard is remaining small. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s staying small, use a balanced fertilizer halfway through the season. That should make the leaves get bigger. When you harvest the leaves, always harvest the older ones. Chard does well with just soil, mulch, and tender loving care. You don\u2019t need a bunch of products to grow chard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people like to add everything they can find to grow vegetables and end up disappointed when the vegetable doesn\u2019t grow. Sometimes the less you do, gives the best results. You don\u2019t even need to use plant food unless you want to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant food helps the roots to become strong. Sometimes the mulch and soil have plant food in it. It just depends on what brand you get. One brand is Miracle-Gro. If you can, buy all Miracle-Gro products, such as the soil and mulch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Thin the chard out once they get three to four inches tall. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thin them out where they are six to eight inches apart. They can be spaced to up to afoot. By thinning them out, the chard can continue growing. They have seeds connected to them and they will sprout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll need to expand your garden when this happens. The more space you give the chard, the larger they will be. If you don\u2019t know how much is three to four inches, use a measuring tape. Measuring tape will help with getting the correct spacing as well. They will begin to grow larger and will soon be ready to harvest and eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to thinning them out, you\u2019ll need to keep an eye on the chard. It is a good idea to check the chard on a daily basis so that you\u2019ll know how much they have grown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Water the chard evenly and often, especially when the temperature is hot. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Swiss chard will grow better when it has enough water. You don\u2019t want to drench it or the leaves will start to rot. When the leaves begin to rot, you\u2019ll need to remove them, so that new chard can grow in its place. You don\u2019t want it to get too dry either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check the soil every day to see if it needs to be watered. Mulch will allow you to skip a day or two of watering the chard. As stated before, if the weather is warm and dry, you\u2019ll need to water it. Just water it enough to get it moist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a water hose to evenly water the chard. It is difficult to water it evenly with a watering pot. Some spots will have more water than others and you don\u2019t want that. Some of your chard will grow and while the others won\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Cut the chard when it\u2019s one foot tall. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If they grow out too big, they will lose their flavor. When you notice the chard is getting big, measure it to see how big it has become. Place the cut chard in plastic ventilated bags, like grocery store bags. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place them in the refrigerator until you\u2019re ready to eat them. When you cut the chard, make sure you\u2019re cutting the older ones. Leave the younger chard to grow out. When you get ready to eat or cook the chard, cut the rib of the chard and cook it like you would asparagus. The rest of the green can be cooked like you would greens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you thoroughly wash the chard in hot water before eating or cooking them. Since the chard was outside, the bug could have gotten on them. Bugs carry diseases and you don\u2019t want to ingest it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Prevent Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While it is a reasonably hardy vegetable, chard is susceptible to certain diseases. Leaf spot occurs as a small, reddish ring on the leaves of the plant, ruining commercially produced crops. If you experience rain in warm weather, then your chard may develop this condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downy mildew is often confused with powdery mildew. Unfortunately, this disease is very challenging to get under control, especially if you don\u2019t get on top of the outbreak immediately after noticing its start. Plants with downy mildew start to experience wilting in the leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your plants start to develop downy mildew, we recommend you rent a blower from your local garden supply store and use it to fumigate your garden with sulfur. The sulfur kills the fungi, helping your plants to recover from the effects of the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cucumber mosaic virus also affects chard crops, stunting growth. If you suspect CMV, pick a leaf from the plant and hold it up to the sunlight. If you see any faint signs of mottling, then you\u2019ll have to pull the plant before it spreads to others in the garden.
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10. Prevent Chard Pests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along with disease, pests are also a concern for chard growers. The most common bugs found around chard plants include the following pests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flea beetles \u2013 Check the leaves of the plant for wilting, if you can\u2019t see any signs of CMV, then the chances are that you have a flea beetle problem. Flea beetles are tiny, and black, blue or gray in color. You can control the pests using sticky tape, attach it to the top of the leaf and let it hang down the inside of the plant. The bugs will walk over the tape and stick to the surface for easy removal from the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spinach leaf miner \u2013 These miners tunnel into the stems of the plant, causing the leaves to wilt. If you notice any holes around the base of the plant, then its Leafminers in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aphids \u2013 Ants carry these pests onto your plants. If you are growing chard in pots, then use a drip tray to provide a barrier between the container and the edge of the dish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deer \u2013 Deer love eating chard, so make sure you stake a fence around your garden if you live in an area with deer populations.
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11. Starting Seeds Indoors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you live in a cold region of the country, such as the Northern States, then you may encounter problems when trying to grow chard, due to the lack of sunlight hours in the day. Therefore, we recommend that you start your seeds early indoors, around 6-weeks before planting season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a modular tray for your seeds, and sow one in each compartment. Fill the modular seedling tray with fertilizer and peat moss. Make a depression in the center using your pinkie finger, and then plant the seed 1-inch below the surface. Chard seeds are \u201cclusters,\u201d and you can expect three to five plants to start from one seed. As the seeds grow, pull out the thinner plants to let the stronger chard survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 6-weeks of growth, it\u2019s time to transplant your seedlings to the garden just in time for spring. Using this method, you should have no problems cultivating your crop before the sunlight starts to fade later in the season.
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12. Companion Plants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Growing companion plants with chard is an excellent way to bring variety into your garden and optimize your growing space. There are plenty of other veggies that do well when grown alongside chard. Start with tomatoes \u2013 while these plants absorb plenty of iron from the ground, this isn\u2019t an issue for chard, as they don\u2019t require much of this nutrient to develop into mature plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also plant any other dark-green leafy veggies alongside chard. Great examples of companion plants from the brassica family include kale and cabbage. Beans and radishes are also great companion plants. Radishes reach maturity in as little as 25 to 35-days, and they don\u2019t grow very tall, and they won\u2019t take any valuable sunlight away from your chard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lettuce is another good option to add to the garden along with your chard. However, lettuce does not grow well in warm climates, so if you live in the Southern States, then avoid this companion plant for your chard garden.
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13. Recommended Chard Varieties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are a few varieties of chard worth planting in your garden. Our favorite is the Swiss-type, and it\u2019s probably the most popular form of the vegetable. Other sustainable varieties that will do very well in your garden include;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Bright Yellow\u2019 \u2013 This variety has yellow stems with dark leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Argentina\u2019 \u2013 This type of chard has plenty of flavor, and crisp leaves similar to lettuce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Bright Lights\u2019 \u2013 This variety of chard features yellow and red leaves and makes for fantastic eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Charlotte\u2019 \u2013 This type of chard has red stalks, with dark green leaves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Fordhook Giant\u2019 \u2013 This type grows readily in the garden, making it one of the fastest finishers in the chard family. You can identify this chard from its dark leaves and white stems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Rainbow\u2019 \u2013 This variety has yellow and red leaves, making it the most attractive of the chard varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Rhubarb\u2019 \u2013 Did you know rhubarb comes from the chard family? This plant has red ribs and tastes fantastic when baked into a pie.
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14. Storage Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After harvesting your chard, follow these storage tips to enhance the shelf life of your harvest. Pick ripened leaves, and throw away any wilting leaves, or rotting on the floor. Leaving leaves on the ground encourages the spread of disease in your plants, resulting in an infestation in the garden that might become difficult to get under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never rinse your chard leaves in water after picking. The water will accelerate the decomposition process, and you\u2019ll lose days of freshness in the leaves. Instead, wrap your chard leaves in plastic wrap, compressing them as much as possible while you pack them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This strategy removes the air from the chard, enhancing shelf life. In most cases, you can keep chard fresh in the crisper rack of your fridge for up to a week, before you need to throw it away. Toss out any wilted or soft leaves onto the compost heap.
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