It is a nuisance when the chard culture shoots early despite all efforts. This premature flower development is due to several causes that you should investigate. With a bit of luck, you can continue cultivating plants that develop inflorescences.
Swiss chard only flowers in the second year
This is how Swiss chard grows
The vegetable plant is a form of the beet and belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. They grow biennially and form the vegetative part in the first year, which consists only of leaf mass. The leaves are harvested after a growing period of between 80 and 90 days. With spring sowing from the end of March to April, chard leaves are ready to harvest from July. For autumn pruning, sow the seeds from July to mid-August.
Why does Mangold shoot?
The plant needs a cold phase to develop flowers. Therefore, inflorescences appear in the second year after temperatures have dropped below ten degrees. Sub-optimal site conditions will also cause Mangold to shoot.
Influencing factors:
- long periods of drought with temperatures that are too warm
- Nutrients are not adapted to the needs
- Danger of exposure to cold if sowing too early
consider claims
If you observe the growing dates for Swiss chard, you ensure optimal growth conditions. Direct sowing in spring tends to shoot more often than sowing in late summer. The last culture of Swiss chard is in early September, so you can harvest the leaves in autumn and winter. Leaf chard comes into the bed until the end of July.
location and soil
Swiss chard thrives in sunny conditions and tolerates partial shade for short periods. The substrate has a good ability to store moisture and provides a loose structure. A high humus content ensures sufficient nutrients.
care properly
The vegetable plant is one of the heavy feeders. After you have supplied the soil with compost or an organic long-term fertilizer before sowing, a top-up fertilization is required after six to eight weeks. Due to the high water requirement, regular watering is necessary. Even soil moisture reduces the risk of premature flower development.
tips
The flowers develop in the leaf axils of strongly stretched shoots. As soon as you recognize such shoots, you should break them out. With a little luck, the chard will continue to grow normally and form enough leaf mass again.
Things to know about the harvest
You can harvest cut chard for the first time after about two months. Swiss chard takes around three months to produce vegetables that are ready for harvest. The procedures do not differ for stem and leaf chard. Work from the outside in, always cutting the outer leaves close to the ground. If you leave the heart intact, the vegetable plant will produce fresh foliage until fall. Due to its short shelf life, you should only harvest as much as you can use up in a short time. The younger the leaves are, the more tender they taste. They are great for baby leaf salads.