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Swiss Chard
biofreak
Posts: 1,089
in Fruit & veg
I have been wading through the seed catalogues and have never tried growing or indeed eating Swiss Chard. Tried Asparagus Peas last year - disastrous as predicted by many of you. Is Swiss Chard worth a go - If so which one - T & M recommend the yellow one for sweetness cooked and the red one for salads - A mystery to me but I always like to try something new.
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Us too. Rainbow Chard gives you the choice of colours.
More huge chard fans here - it crops for ever and stand through most winters too.
I usually make two or three successional sowings which gives us at least one meal a week for about 8 months of the year - in the summer we eat it at least every other day. Great in a stir fry and also in a quiche as well as cooking it like spinach - and we cook the thick stems separately like asparagus.
I've tried most varieties but now still to the Swiss Chard 'Lucullus' http://www.thompson-morgan.com/vegetables/vegetable-seeds/beetroot-and-chard-seeds/leaf-beet-lucullus/593TM good yield and fantastic flavour.
Wouldn't be without it!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Found it easy to grow, just dont like the taste
, perhaps I am cooking it wrong?
Rainbow chard fan here
Like Edd, I prefer the white one. Ginagibbs, there are 2 tastes if you do it like Dove - leaves like spinach, stems separately with butter or hollandaise sauce.
We don't have a greenhouse Edd, but when we sow our chard we sow quite thickly and use the thinnings as baby greens. We also sow it thickly in patches in a raised bed with other salad leaves in the spring to cut and come again.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Another fan, me thinks this is a really under valued veg.
Tried growing it a few times, unsuccessfully, but rainbow chad has done really well this year. I've stopped picking it but the plants are standing up against the hardiest winter veg.
I read somewhere chad will continue producing for up to 4yrs, no doubt the leaves will be as tuff as old boots but I'm waiting to see what they'll taste like come the spring in their second year
Another fan here. The leafy bits can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach but is a softer taste and doesn't coat my mouth like cooked spinach does. The stalks are good stir fried or in quiches.
Easy to grow and attractive. I've seen the red ones grown in ornamental borders with red Bishop of Llandaff dahlias, red onions, cavolo nero and red cannas. Stunning.
Gosh what a great response! Certainly will order some now BUT does it require special attention like celery, - is it best to start it off indoors or can it be sown direct outside. I normally start all seeds off then plant out seedlings in situ. Details on packets for Chard not that clear.
I sow mine direct but you could do it in modules and plant out later if you prefer. It's hardy and a member of the beetroot family so doesn't need coddling along.