Swiss Chard in containers?

I need to plant something. Seems that the rainbow Swiss Chard would be pretty, as well as edible, anyone done this? I'm crossposting in Containers as well, but thought I'd ask if anyone knows more, I like to eat it, but have never grown it:)

Sounds reasonable.... should work. Quick growing leaf lettuce might work too.
LD

Yeah, lettuce works very well, but I don't eat it "*G*. I should, but I never, um, get around to it.Thought I'd try something I like to eat :))

There's also Chinese Bok Choy & mustard greens... fairly quick growing. IF you eat them, of course....
Ld

I grow all my Greens in Boxes

Some of the "Dragon" type green mixes also do well. Think Bakers has it. Or Johnny's braising mixes. Chard is a great container plant and you can keep cutting and it will keep growing. The yellow in rainbow is slower than the red but still a pretty container! And tasty! Beet greens are also good container plants. They all grow easy!

Okay, more to look for! Thanks for the input. I'm a "new" southerner, and finding that i really like "greens", at least cooked ones:)

need more pots....need more pots....

Catmad, I think you'll have a great crop of chard - or other greens - in containers. I grew chard in big black nursery pots and I could not believe how long those plants lasted. It was fabulous!

Remember to put several inches of drainage material in the bottom of the pot. I save styrofoam that comes in packages of nearly everything. It's a whole lot lighter than rocks or broken terra cotta. I break it into pieces and fill the bottom of the pot, then bump the pot to make sure the soil settles in. This way, if you need to move the pot, you will have a slightly less broken back than if the pots had rocks in 'em.

Tomatofreak wrote;"styrofoam that comes in packages of nearly everything."

AHA!! Now I have a "garden" use for it! Great idea. I haven't got the funds to buy potting mix this year, and my "soil" is clay. Hard clay :).
This will get me a lot more mileage out of my one bag of hoarded potting mix....

The greens thank you:)

LOL, once you realize what you can do with that styrofoam, you'll soon have a bagful of the stuff! I don't throw any out - even in the recycle bin - anymore.

Oh, I never throw it away:). Now I have to figure out where I put the boxes of it, since I _think_ (a relative term) I put it away after Christmas.

I do have to remember to test it, as some of it is the cornstarch variety, and will dribble away.....

I haven't tried Swiss chard in containers myself, but some seed companies suggest container growing for it in their listings. It's a happy veggie!

I've done it, worked great, and I think it lasted for about 2 years in our warm climate--it was amazing! I was growing it mostly for ornamental reasons, so I can't tell you how it tasted as it got older, but it sure grew well and was lovely to look at.

Sounds like a "go for it" to me.

You've piqued my interest about chard so I googled and found this nice write-up and seed list

http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/cgi-bin/catview.cgi?_fn=Product&_category=12

Everyone of them sounds divine! I'm going to try it in a pot too. I bet it will taste good and be pretty,too!

I suppose it's a bit early to plant here, though?

Now that's not fair!! Okay, bookmarked it. I'll try to wait for next year, just to see what success I have with _what_ I have.

Thanks for the link, I'll spend lots of time there, I suspect. To say nothing if money.....:)

Oh, my, that's a site I'll be visiting! I LUV chard; it's one of the best greens ever. Milder than spinach, tender, quick to cook and prolific. Just cut the outer leaves and more will grow. The big leaves aren't tough, but you may find the ribs are. Just trim those and your pot o' greens will be just as delicious as tender young leaves.

I have some planted in the garden, but I may also try some in pots. When do you need to thin the seedlings out?

Phicks wrote "I grow all my Greens in Boxes"

***********

Those greens are absolutely GORGEOUS!!! What boxes do you use, what's the planting schedule, and what greens are those? I just set up to small raised beds out back, but I have at least three 24-gallon planters I got from Sam's last year. They'd make excellent "greens houses!"

Also, I'm interested in planting veggies and flowers together. Has anyone done it with the greens? Please post pics or do tell. Thanks!

I bet Phicks is talking about Earth Boxes, Gymgirl. But don't those greens look gorgeous!

I am soooooooooooooo ready to go buy some ham hocks, and show up with the cornbread. oooooooooooo weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

And, shucks, I've got 7 EBs!

What kinda greens are those?

Mine are Mustard Greens i grow all my greens in Cheap Rubber Window boxes. i had spinash and chard earler this year to just planted more to this one is spinash from Dec Paul

Thanks, Phicks! What's your growing medium in your container and do you fertilize them?

i use wall mart cheap soil and cheap com post 1.29 40 lbs bags i mix half and half half top soil half compost i fertilze a lot i use texas tea to

They're heeeeere :) The swiss chard seedlings have raised their little heads, and I'm so pleased! They are quite colorful, so far red and yellow showing. Just bitsy little things, but very bright! We just had two nights of hard freeze, and i brought all the planters inside....
Well, they're just babies, after all :)

Yaaaay, catmad! You're gonna love that chard; it is easy to grow, very prolific and a snap to cook. You've reminded me to plant some in a container or two so I can move them to shade when I need to.

if i had Earth Boxes id use theam for Tomatoes

What do you mean by "cheap rubber window boxes'? Do you mean like the long planters that are not as deep. Ive got some spinach I want to put in something, and I have a few of those.

yes thats what i mean i get mine at the doallr stores or big lots

OOO ok ;-). One mans rubber is another girls plastic. Perfect...I have a couple of those laying around.

phicks,

Whats Texas tea?

They grow wonderfully in containers, even indoors. I grow them in window boxes on the inside sills in the winter and they are very happy there, though not quite as prolific as outdoors.

This message was edited Mar 1, 2008 4:45 PM

Dean its Cow Manure and Water thats Soaked for a few days just use the water Paul

Thanks, Paul, sounds like good stuff to me. I'm starting to make Aerated Compost Tea. It sounds great and I'm eager to get started.

Phicks,
What's your planting schedule on the spinach and the mustards? Is it to late for me to direct sow seeds for spinach in my Zone 9a? Please advise. Thanks. Also, take a look at my bean trellis bed. Would the spinach and mustards grow well in the middle beneath the beans? They'll eventually shade the bed in the middle, so whatever's there will enjoy heat without the scorching sun. Thanks.

Phicks,
Try this pic instead of the other one. Thanks.

it may be a bit late fow sowing spinach in the ground but try a Box in stead you can grow mustard greens chard or all most any green between your bean poles

i have some red mustard greens comeing up now to

Thanks, Phicks!

P.S. I was gonna direct sow my Kentucky Wonder pole beans last weekend, but it didn't happen. I read to soak them overnight, too. So, Sunday night I put them in a cup of warm water, where they stayed until today. It was scummy, so I rinsed until it ran clear. Then, because we're dipping to 30 degrees tomorrow night, I figured, what they hey -- so I've planted one bean seed per 6 oz. yogurt cup in Jiffy seed starter mix.

Will I be able to successfully transplant the beans to the bean teepee? I mean, will they grow/continue to grow, if I just set the plug into the bed and not disturb anything?

yes but cut the bottom off