By Ronnie Dauber, Garden Guides Contributor
About Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is an annual leafy garden vegetable that is recognized
by its colorful stalks and crumpled leaves. It is used in salads as
a main leafy ingredient, as well as in main dishes as an attractive
garnish.
Site Preparation
Swiss chard requires a fertile, well-cultivated soil that is
enriched with plenty of compost and well rotted manure. The soil
can be worked immediately following the last frost in the spring
and it is not necessary to wait for the ground to warm since this
plant thrives in cool weather. The plants do best in full sunlight,
although they can tolerate limited amounts of shade.
Special Features
Swiss chard exhibits attractive and colorful stalks with veins of
the same color flowing into the crumpled deep-green leaves. Both
the stalk and the leaves are edible and enhance a variety of meals
with their delicious flavor. The plant presents its uniqueness with
its color and design, whether in the garden or on your plate.
Choosing a Variety
There are several varieties of Swiss chard that all require the
same growing conditions and harvest, but have a slight variance in
flavor.
* Burpee's Rhubard Chard has deep red colored edible stalks, giving
it a close resemblance to rhubarb. The red veins extend through the
dark green leaves adding a further attraction to its already
distinct appearance as a main dish garnish.
* Orange Fantasia bears vivid golden orange stalks and veins
against dark green, semi savoy leaves. The stems are thick and
crisp and are the pleasing chard flavor that is often found in
salads.
* Fordhook Giant is a popular Swiss chard, a vigorous variety noted
for its dark green, wrinkled leaves and thick white stems. It bears
a mild flavor and is suitable for many salad dishes.
Planting
Plants can be placed into the ground in the spring as soon as the
soil is thawed enough to be worked, and should be spaced anywhere
from 1 to 3 inches apart. Seeds should be sown thinly, about
1/2 inch into the soil. Once the seedlings have
developed into small plants, they should be thinned out to about 1
to 3 inches apart. The rows should be 12 to 24 inches apart.
Care
Swiss chard requires regular feedings of a well-balanced fertilizer
or compost tea, as well as regular watering.
Harvest and Storage
The vitamin-enriched leaves of the Swiss chard are very tender and
flavorful, and can be picked as soon as they are big enough to eat.
When the leaves are picked regularly, the plant will continue to
produce more tasty leaves throughout the summer. However, once the
stalk is cut, that completes the harvest for that plant.
