Red Chard just cut Yumy Paul
Swiss Chard
Yum! :) Looks beautiful!
How long did it take your swiss chard to get that big? And do you mind sharing how you grew that? I'm growing some in a pot but it is not happy.
Actually thats the third harvest I got this year from it first time was in January I cut the big leaves off. Will get two more more harvests from it. I planted mine in a long window box, plenty of water, fertilizer and partial shade.
Paul
Paul, when did you sow that? Looks great! -- Kyla
Seeds planted early December. You can harvest alot if you only take the big leaves it continues to grow new ones
Thanks. I'm doing that with kale though it has not gotten as big as that yet. couldn't wait. ;-)
My first sowing of chard was in February but we have had lots of freezing temps since then, it is just starting on its true leaves and will get planted into larger containers in a couple weeks.
I think I planted too late.
Thanks a bunch, phicks, for the information.
Pugzley, that sowing I mentioned was winter sowing, not out in the ground here...... Also, I understand chard withstands hot weather better than some other greens, which is why I wintersowed it a month later than my kale and spinach....... -- Kyla
Oh, maybe there is still hope, it's just sooo tiny and hasn't grown in weeks. I'll let it stay awhile longer before I yank it and make use of that pot for something else, my space is so limited it's pathetic, every pot counts here. :)
Oh, I hear that! What kind of potting mix is it in? How big of a pot? I think chard needs lots of "leg room." I h ave grown it in the ground before but not in a container, this will be a first for me.
And, are you in Southern California? If it really is getting too hot you could try shading it some too.....
Thanks, Kyla, yes I am in Socal and it's been real hot the past 2 days, like almost 100 in the shade!
I've got it in a 5 gallon grow bag, coconut coir mixed with potting mix and some cow manure compost blended in there.
Oh, it should be so happy with that! Gosh. But try some shade, see if that helps. I am going to have to get some shade cloth here myself, my deck is hot already..... and I know it will get hotter!
Hey ya'll! I grew this for the 1st time this past fall in a 24" container of MG potting soil. I learned a few things. It loves cool weather. It drinks a LOT. Not happy if it dries out completely. Prefers bright but not HOT sun. Cutting leaves from the outside promotes New growth to the inside. It it a pretty plant. I am not fond of Swiss Chard all by itself. Maybe I'll mix some in with my other greens and will like it cooked. Hopes this helps. Linda
Very pretty! I've grown the green and am trying Bright Lights this year.
I'm trying Bright Lights this year, too. I grew Swiss chard once before, years ago, and wasn't particularly impressed. It didn't seem to have much flavor. But I figured I'd give it another whirl, since it's a green, probably nutritious, and it fills a gap between lettuce and other greens.
That was my thought too.
I love chard -- and this year I am growing 5 Color Silverbeet variety I got from Seedsavers. Some people grow that one for its beauty alone as an ornamental.
I am gonna be P.O.'ed if it is too hot to grow it here! Doin fine so far with the Kale but the chard I did start a bit later and have not put it in a big container yet, gotta get cracking. ;-)
Mine is the Five Color Silverbeet from Seedsavers, too, but I have read that it's the same as Bright Lights. It looks really pretty and I thought it would go well in my potager; hopefully it will taste good, too!
I don't know which name I like better. Both are pretty! I didn't know it was on in the same.
I'm hoping for taste too. I grew the green that got about 3' tall and I'm thinking it was tough even tho I wilted it down and buttered it like I do the spinich.
I'm willing to try again because I've been really hungry for greens!!
needs to be cut young if it gets to big its bitter and stringy
I will do that this year!! Thanks!
I've found that chard does really well for me, even when the temps start getting to the 100s. It does seem to be pretty slow tho, so be patient with it. I love the flavor of it. Particularly with a bit of lemmon or vinager.
Good to know, Duchess. Maybe the last time I grew it it just needed lemon or vinegar to give it some oomph!
LOL at the oomph. :) I know a lot of the greens are kind of bland and growing up eating them (seemed like every meal), my mom used a lot of vinegar when preparing them.
My chard was eaten on by something the last couple of nights, I think it's done in, but I will plant some more and see what happens. I really want to see those beautiful colors in the garden!
I grew up eating vinegar on canned spinich too. Suprisingly, Mom never grew it or peas. She grew everything else. The canned was slimy, but all of us kids liked it. It's sure improved as canned leaf spinich!!
I grew two (short) rows of collards this year (actually my first crop of anything!) and kind of got tired of collards every day. I am probably going to harvest the rest of the crop tommorrow. I might keep a couple plants but I am going to try and freeze the rest.
I have eaten swiss chard in the past but I forgot what it tasted like, is it anything like collards? I might try some for a fall crop. I'm going to do spinich this winter. Too bad lettuce doesn't grow well in the summer, that's tomato time. Who wants lettuce without tomatos?
It is more tender and less bitter than collards.
Margocstn! Don't just try to freeze the rest of your collards -- do it! I harvested my collards and mustards 4 times between Thanksgiving plantout and February 15th. I cleaned 'em in a salt brine in 15 minutes, cut 'em up, blanched 'em, and packed 'em into gallon-sized freezer bags. I used a straw to suck out the air. They were a beautiful, brilliant emerald green. I pulled a package out this weekend to show off and, sure enough, they're holding their color!
Linda.