Swiss chard is a valuable leafy vegetable that is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and can therefore be grown as an attractive alternative to spinach. With the cut or leaf chard and the stem or ribbed chard, there are two types. Both species are sown directly outdoors from April.
time to sow
Chard is a biennial plant. Sowing time is from April to June.
You can harvest leaves and stems in the first year. During the winter, the plant is protected with mulch (€239.00) or fleece.
Prepare the bed
You should choose a sunny location for growing Swiss chard. Dig compost under the soil in autumn so that it is sufficiently enriched with nutrients by spring. Before sowing, dig up the soil thoroughly again.
Since the chard plants grow very luxuriantly, there should be enough space in the bed. You should keep a minimum distance of 30 to 35 cm between the plants.
This is how the sowing succeeds
- Make a deep hole with your fingers or a planting iron
- Put 2 - 3 seeds in each seed hole
- cover with earth
- Keep the seedbed moist
- the germination time is one to two weeks
After sowing
If several plants have developed in one place, they must be isolated. You leave the strongest young plant, the others get a new place. One of the chard plants could find a new location in a high, wide planter, which should definitely be sunny.
A supply of sufficient nutrients is important until the chard harvest. This is done by mulching and fertilizing.
tips and tricks
You can make it easier to keep the minimum distance on the chard bed: you mark the bed with small sticks so that you can create a seed hole at the right distance.