Swiss Chard is worth growing just for its decorative leaves and stems alone. However, the stems and the leaves also make a tasty alternative to spinach.
Swiss chard is a crop for autumn, winter and spring harvests at a time when there is little else around. It grows in a clump about 45cm (11⁄2ft) high and wide.
Varieties
‘Bright Lights’
A fabulous mixture of different coloured chards will create a rainbow of stems. This is simply gorgeous to grow and just admire without even eating. The stems in this mixture will be white, red, yellow and orange. When the winter’s sun is low and catches the stems from behind, they light up like coloured light bulbs.
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Growing Tips
Swiss chard is not too fussy about soil but it will prefer a sunny spot. Sow chard direct where you intend to grow it in a seed drill about 2.5cm (1in) deep.
Once the seedlings are through, thin them out to about 10cm (4in) apart and then again when they are bigger to 30cm (1ft) apart.
More on chards
More grow guides
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