There are yellow-stemmed and red-stemmed chard varieties that are real eye-catchers in the garden bed. Leafy greens are very popular because of their ingredients. But hardly any hobby gardener knows about the fact that the root was also used.
Only very young chard roots are edible
use of the root
Chard roots have been used in the past because they contain a lot of sugar. People boiled the turnip in water to get the sweet stuff. Over time, the plant was replaced by the fodder beet, which is also known as the defect root or beet chard.
edibility
The root tubers, which are reminiscent of beetroot because of the species they belong to, are theoretically edible. They do not contain any toxic ingredients and have a sweet taste with a slightly bitter and bland note. Nevertheless, chard is only grown as a leafy vegetable, because the beets are very lignified and do not lose their fibrous consistency through longer cooking times.
How to plant chard
Chard is easy to grow. If you take the needs of the crop into account, it will thank you with a rich harvest after ten to twelve weeks. As a medium eater, the vegetable requires little care. Ideal plant partners in the mixed culture are peas or bush and broad beans.
Site and soil requirements
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris is a leafy vegetable whose leaf mass places value on an adequate water supply. Deep and humic soils that ensure a balanced supply of nutrients provide an ideal basis for growth. Before planting, it is advisable to loosen the substrate well and improve it with compost. In terms of light conditions, the beet values sunny conditions. The useful plant thrives less luxuriantly in semi-shade.
sowing
From mid-April, sowing takes place directly in the open ground at a depth of two centimeters. If you sow earlier, you must protect the bed from the cold with a fleece layer. Leaf chard is sown in rows and requires 30 centimeters spacing, while stem chard requires at least 40 centimeters between plants. If the young plants are too close together, remove weak specimens.
harvest
Depending on the chosen sowing date, harvesting begins in June. Working from the outside in, cut or break the leaf stalks at the base. There should be about five centimeters from the stalk, because this way you protect the heart and the chard can continue to grow. Young leaves, ten centimeters in size, have a mild flavor and delicate texture. The older the foliage gets, the firmer the leaf tissue is.
Notes on storage:
- fresh leaves in a damp cloth can be stored in the refrigerator for two days
- complete chard plant lasts longer
- washed harvest is suitable for freezing
tips
The large leaves can be used like savoy cabbage. Chard wraps with a creamy mushroom filling taste delicious.