Central Virginia Organic Gardener

"And 'tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes." - William Wordsworth, 1798

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Swiss chard

Those of you who follow this  blog know I love greens (wish all my family felt the same).  I love spinach, but I find it too hard to grow- it never gets lush and big in my garden and it bolts too easily (even the slow bolt varieties).  So I grow Swiss chard instead. Chard is an excellent spinach substitute. The taste is similar, especially when cooked, and is good in salads when young.  And chard is easy to grow: it is sturdier than spinach, is slower to bolt (that is, go to flower), can be sowed late into the summer.  Plus chard is way prettier. The variety above (sea foam) is not a show boat, but "Bright Lights" with pink, red, yellow, green and cream stems is pretty enough for an ornamental garden accent.  Another variety, "Rhubarb," has pretty, deep red stems.

Try chard! And happy gardening!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have learned a new word: bolt!

Anonymous said...

I have learned a new word: bolt!

Samantha at Pollinator Plates said...

Does swiss chard need tons of sun? I'm curious to try growing some now, after reading your post. I love leafy greens!

Judy Thomas said...

Swiss chard loves sun, but can tolerate a bit of shade, not much. Now is a good time to plant it to get a good yield before fall frosts.