Swiss Chard: - Watering

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GE 128

2010

Swiss Chard
Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) is also known by the seeding this heavy feeder. In August trim old
names Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach, Spinach Beet, Crab leaves and provide plants with a light side-dressing
Beet, Seakale Beet, and Mangold. This leafy vegetable is a of fertilizer.
cultivated descendant of the sea beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. • Watering - Keep plants uniformly supplied with
maritima. It is in the same species as beetroot (garden moisture for best performance. Water deeply and
beet) except it lacks the swollen, edible storage root. The regularly during dry periods.
word Swiss was used to distinguish chard from French
spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalog publishers. • Weeding -Remove all young weed seedlings by
The first varieties of this popular leafy vegetable have been hand and use a mulch laid along each side of the
traced to Sicily. Fresh, young chard can be used raw in row to keep weed seeds from germinating. Thin by
salads. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked removing (cutting) plants in early summer so that
or sautéed. Their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a spacing is about 8-12 inches apart.
refined flavor which is more delicate than that of cooked • Special directions – Soaking seed in warm water
spinach. for 24 hours before sowing will aid germination
and may help prevent soil rot and seed maggot
Cultivars of chard include green forms, such as ‘Lucullus’ problems in cool, spring soil.
and ‘Fordhook Giant,’ as well as red-ribbed forms such as
‘Ruby Chard,’ ‘Rainbow Chard,’ and ‘Rhubarb Chard.’ All Harvesting:
parts of the chard plant contain oxalic acid. Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and
tender or after maturity when they are larger and have
Swiss chard leaves grow vigorously throughout the season. slightly tougher stems. Young leaves (smaller than 4
inches) may be eaten fresh in salads. Mature leaves may
Planting: be chopped and sautéed. The “ribs” may be eaten like
Direct sowing is preferable to transplanting because there celery. It can be harvested until frost. At any point in
is less root disturbance. Sow anytime between April 15th the growing season, snip leaves 2 inches above crowns
and June 15th. Plant in loose, rich, well-drained and to rejuvenate plants. New, succulent leaves soon will be
deeply cultivated soil in wide rows or beds with full sun. ready to harvest.
Like beets, the seed is really a fruit containing several
embryos which will need to be thinned. Space seeds 2 Storage and Preservation:
inches apart in all directions, and cover with ½-inch of fine Chard is extremely perishable. It stores best in very cold
soil or 1 inch of sandy soil. Thin plants to 4 inches apart (32°F), moist (95% Relative Humidity) environment. Store
when they are about 2 inches high. You can re-plant the in the refrigerator in a vented plastic bag.
thinned seedlings but you will need to water them twice
daily until they establish new root systems. Authors: Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, Vegetables
& Fruits; Jeanine Smetana, Bob Nixon and Peggy Yen,
Cultivation: University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners;
• Fertilizing - Apply a pre-plant fertilizer before March 2010

For more information on this and other topics visit the University of Maryland Extension website at www.extension.umd.edu
Do you have a plant or insect pest question?
Visit us at extension.umd.edu/hgic
and click Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts

Author: Jon Traunfeld, University of Maryland Extension Specialist, Home and Garden Information Center,
Vegetables & Fruits; Jeanine Smetana, Bob Nixon, and Peggy Yen, University of Maryland Extension Master
Gardeners
This publication, GE128, is a series of publications of the University of Maryland Extension and The Home and Garden Information Center.
For more information on related publications and programs, http://extension.umd.edu/hgic.
Please visit http://extension.umd.edu/ to find out more about Extension programs in Maryland.
The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orienta-
tion, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression.
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For more information on this and other topics visit the University of Maryland Extension website at www.extension.umd.edu

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