Thickly and snipped with scissors for ‘baby’ greens. Later, thin the plants out to an eventual When seedlings are about 3" tall, thin them to 3" Chard likes evenly moist, moderatelyįertile soil amended with compost and/or well-rotted It may alsoīe grown for fall/winter use if started in the middle Spinach takes 6 to 10 days to germinate under good. On the other hand, the University of Michigan suggests that spinach seeds can germinate in as little as 5 days under ideal conditions, or as long as 22 days in less desirable conditions. Weeks before the last expected frost date. According to Cornell University, spinach seeds take about 1 to 1.5 weeks (6 to 10 days) to germinate. Wait until soil has warmed to over 45☏, about 2 Too cold results in bolting (going directly to seed). Soak seed in bathtub-warm waterįor an hour before sowing. Deer resistant.Ĭhard has compound seeds, which may produce (What isn't?) Mature stems may be used for dips and piped soft cheese spreads. Wilted Swiss Chard is heavenly braised with golden raisins and finished with a bit of heavy cream and butter. For that matter, Swiss Chard is a good mate for any sort of pork, ricotta-based pasta filling, custard-based frittata or cheesy rice gratin. We like Swiss Chard added to slow-sautéed diced pancetta in Garlic-flavored olive oil, braised in chicken broth, and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and grated Pecorino. Generally, about a month later, mature leaves may be stripped from their stems and chiffonaded for pasta sauces, hearty soups and stews. Baby leaves may harvested through the season in the cut-and-come-again method for fresh salads as well as cooked as one would in Spinach recipes. Water Swiss Chard regularly in dry periods to help keep the stems from becoming woody. To harvest, cut off the outer leaves of these grand plants, which keep on producing, even through a light frost. For mature, full-size Chard, thin seedlings to 10" apart in rows spaced 16" to 20" apart. For baby greens, sow 2" apart in rows spaced 12" apart and harvested when 2" to 3" tall. Direct-sow seed after all threat of frost has passed in spring, when the soil has warmed up to about 50☏. It fits in everywhere: the kitchen garden, ornamental beds and containers. A Beet family relative, Swiss Chard is easy to grow, delicious and beautiful.
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