Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is an excellent addition to any vegetable garden and wouldn’t look out of place in the ornamental border either. It is a great crop to
grow with children as its bright stems are very appealing. It has a long picking season and nutritious leaves, which make this plant a great addition to salads and other dishes. If you would like to grow your own plants from seed please view our
swiss chard seed selection.
How to grow
Swiss chard is incredibly easy to grow and is relatively low maintenance. By following the instructions below, you are sure to have a great harvest of leaves.
Position
As long as you do not plant this crop in full shade it will grow. Ideally you should plant swiss chard in a sunny spot that has some shade in the hot summer.
Soil
Swiss chard will grow in most soils as long as they are free draining and do not water log in heavy rains. Apart from this they are very undemanding plants and should grow in most areas of the garden and on most soil types. You may wish to improve soils with
multi-purpose compost which will warm the soil and improve drainage.
Care
We recommend adding organic matter to the planting area and feeding plants regularly with a good well balanced
fertiliser. Water plants regularly and remove weeds by hand.
Harvesting
Harvesting is a simple process and this can take part throughout the year whenever you require the vegetable. If you wish to add swiss chard to salads it is best that you pick young tender leaves. As plants mature they will get tougher and are suit ed to cooking. Use a knife to remove individual leaves, making sure that you do not cut the stem. After picking more leaves should develop and you can continue to harvest from the plants.
Top Tip
Grow some of our brighter stemmed plants on the edges of vegetable plots or borders to add interest to the garden.