Chard (Beta vulgaris) can be sown from April. Young plants can be brought forward as early as March for an earlier chard harvest. Read our guide to find out how to do this and whether you need to prick chard.

In a nutshell

  • Advance possible from March
  • Sow the seeds in individual seed pots if possible
  • ensure a warm, humid climate
  • don't prick, but forgive
  • Plant out from the end of April

prefer chard

You need a lot of heat to successfully grow Swiss chard - the fruit capsules (which often contain several seeds) germinate best at temperatures between 16 and 20 °C. It is therefore advisable to prefer vitamin-rich chard, which can be done from the beginning of March. The best way to do this is as follows:

  • use individual small growing pots (e.g. made of cellulose).
  • fill with nutrient-poor potting soil
  • Alternatively, herbal soil can also be used
  • Sowing is also possible on coconut sticks
  • Plant one core per pot or tab
  • Planting depth approx. one centimeter, as it germinates in the dark
  • Moisten the substrate
  • Place pots in mini greenhouse or cover with foil
  • place in a bright but not directly sunny location
chard seeds

Swiss chard needs a warm, humid climate to germinate, which is why you should keep the substrate evenly moist and also place the pots in a greenhouse or cover them with foil. Alternatively, you can also put cut-off PET bottles over it. The chard seeds germinated within seven to 14 days.

Notice: The chard seeds are in so-called capsule fruits, which usually contain several seeds. This is why several shoots often sprout from one “seed”, which is a botanical specialty.

pique or warp?

Even if you sow chard individually, as we suggested, you often get several plants from one "seed". Of course, these must not grow too tight, which is why the question of pricking out soon arises. However, we advise against separating and transplanting (because that's what it's all about), as the root strands of the young plants are usually very interwoven and therefore difficult to separate without damaging them. Root damage, in turn, can result in chard plants being weak and possibly unable to recover.

Instead, you should warp excess or too close together specimens, i. H. remove and leave only the strongest plant. Another possibility, which is gentler on the roots, is to simply cut off all the excess plants directly on the surface of the earth with scissors. The best time for this is when the first real pair of leaves has already formed after the cotyledons.

Notice: Sometimes you can read in garden forums that Swiss chard does not have to be pricked out or warped. In fact, you could skip this step with a single seed. However, Swiss chard is quite susceptible to powdery mildew, whereas only an airy stand helps.

plant out

From the end of April, the early chard plants can go into the garden, although you should cover them to protect them from the cold if late frosts are imminent. Special cover mats (e.g. a garden fleece) or fir or spruce brushwood are suitable for this. However, during the day the cover should be removed so that the plants get enough light for their development. Proceed as follows when planting out:

  • Prepare bed with compost and organic fertilizer
  • Plant out leaf chard at a distance of 30 x 20 centimeters
  • Swiss chard to 40 x 40 centimeters
  • Press well, then pour vigorously
  • mulch soil, e.g. B. with grass clippings

For planting, choose a warm day with a cloudy sky if possible, so that the young plants can slowly get used to the new light conditions. Chard needs a lot of moisture for healthy growth and the development of large amounts of leaves, which is why mulching the soil makes sense. This keeps moisture in the soil and means you don't need to water as often.

Tip: Swiss chard can be sown up to July. These late sowings can overwinter, but must then be protected by mulch.

frequently asked Questions

How do you use Swiss chard in the kitchen?

Swiss chard can be harvested not just once, but multiple times. Throughout the summer, always harvest only the outer leaves and leave the “heart” alone. The plants keep growing from here. In the kitchen, leaf chard is used like spinach; In the case of Swiss chard, on the other hand, cut out the broad "ribs" and cook them like asparagus. The leafy greens are steamed separately. Always use chard fresh as it doesn't keep for long.

Which varieties are particularly recommended?

There are two different types of the vitamin-rich leafy vegetable: the leaf chard and the rib or stalk chard. Both come in many different varieties, with the red-stemmed varieties having a slightly tart taste. We especially recommend the leaf chard variety 'Lucullus', the ribbed chard varieties 'Glatter Silber', 'White Silver', 'Walliser', the colorful and attractive 'Bright Lights', the red-stemmed 'Rhubarb Chard' and 'Feurio' and the yellow-stemmed variety ' Oriole'.

Which vegetables are good neighbors?

Swiss chard is an attractive plant that also cuts a fine figure in a perennial border. In the vegetable patch, on the other hand, various types of cabbage as well as carrots, radishes and radishes are good neighbors, although you should of course always pay attention to the recommended planting distance. Lettuce, on the other hand, is very suitable as a space culture.

Category:

Vegetable garden