Chard
Introduction
Chard adds a splash of colour to a vegetable patch. It makes an excellent choice for a home vegetable garden, or to grow in containers on a patio.
It is possible to eat both the stalks and the leaves. The stalks have a mild, crunchy flavour, with a texture and taste reminiscent of celery, whilst the leaves are more similar to spinach.
Planting
- Planting depth: 1.5 cm
- Planting spacing: 30 cm between plants, 45 cm between rows
Harvesting
- Pick a few leaves from multiple plants (rather than dig up a whole plant), and enjoy a harvest throughout the summer
(inside)
(outside)
(fresh)
(stored)
= jar, = freeze, 
= store
Varieties
Chard comes in many different shades and is characterised by the dramatic stalks and veins of its leaves, including white, orange, green, red, and purple stalked varieties. It is one of my favourite vegetables to grow as the plants take up little space, crop over a long period, and best of all, add their delicious flavour to a wide range of meals like soups, curries, casseroles, risottos, and even salads (when the leaves are picked young).
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Growing
All varieties are grown the same way, and there are two main times to sow. My preferred time is when the soil warms up in spring. The leaves of the thinned young plants are good for salads, and by late June the plants should be mature. There is no need to dig up the whole plant, just pick enough outside leaves from a number of plants for a meal, and the plants will continue to replenish them until autumn.
The second time to plant is after the longest day in summer, with the intention of overwintering the plants for an early spring harvest the following year. Chard dies back in winter, and in cold areas the base of the plants should be protected by a mulch or fleece.
Chard seed looks very similar to beetroot seed, and can easily be confused. Both chard and beetroot are sown in a similar way, at a depth of about 1.5 cm. Watering the soil before sowing will prevent the seeds being washed out. Once the seedlings have germinated, thin the plants to about 30 cm apart. The plants can grow big, throwing up their brightly covered leaves.
Like other plants where the leaves are eaten, chard needs to be watered regularly – especially so in heat waves – to avoid the roots drying out and toughening the leaves. Chard is relatively free of diseases, but a net may be required to stop birds eating their way through the crop.