Planting Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is known by a number of aliases such as spinach beet, chard and silverbeet; it is closely related to the beet family. One of the reasons it is popular with gardeners is its uncanny growth patterns. Swiss chard is like certain batteries that claim to keep going and going. It has continual growth throughout the hottest parts of summer, well into fall, and in some climates, even through the winter months. Swiss chard is also well known for its ornamental qualities. The flamboyantly colored stalks grow tall enough to be used as shade in areas of your garden that need it; their size also helps deter weeds in the vicinity. A plant that is so effortless to grow, easy on the eyes and pleasing to the palate deserves to be well liked by the masses. Follow these simple directions and you will be well on your way to becoming a fan of this tasty and colorful plant as well:

• Any soil that would be acceptable for leafy greens like spinach and lettuce is well suited to Swiss chard. Seeds should be placed directly into the soil after all chance of frost has been ruled out. The typical timeframe to plant chard is from early April through the end of May. The depth for planting these seeds is one half to one inch deep. Ideally the seeds should be spaced four to six inches away from each other. Chard will need to be watered regularly.

• Garden pests love Swiss chard possibly even more than gardeners do. Special attention will be needed in regards to affected leaves; they must be removed from the plant (and the garden all together). If a pest problem is ignored it will definitely spread.

• Swiss chard grows up to two feet tall. The stalk colors are vibrant reds, bright pinks, yellows, white and oranges; the ribbed leaves are a deep green. To enjoy them at their most tender stages, the leaves should be picked early on. Outer leaves should be removed first. Leaves can either be pulled downward and twisted off or cut, as long as you remove them close to the base. Allow the inner leaves to stay and to be harvested later. Old leaves should be removed as they will prohibit proper growth of your plants.

Swiss chard is loaded with vitamins such as A and C. Younger, more tender leaves make an excellent salad and older, more mature ones cook up much like spinach. This tasty vegetable can be frozen in freezer bags for the winter. Simply pull out a bag and add the frozen chard to any recipe that calls for spinach. It does not get much easier than this.