Swiss Chard-Rainbow Mix is a biennial vegetable with multi-colored rainbow stems and glossy green leaves. Chard is seen as a superfood and is packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber. Chard can be grown year round in most climates.

Difficulty: Easy

Soil: Well-draining soil rich in organic matter.

Sowing: All year round.

Germination: 10-14 days

Days to Maturity: 60-70 days

Position: Full sun to partial shade

Spacing: 20-30 cm apart

Sow Depth: 10 mm deep

Height: 45-60 cm

Growing notes:

Typically grown as a cool-season crop because it grows quickly and easily during the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, chard is quite tolerant of hotter temperatures, too. Soak the chard seeds in water for 24 hours before planting to help speed-up germination. Sow directly into moderately fertile, well-draining soil while leaving plenty of room for the chard to grow. Make sure to de-weed the area and cover the space around the chard with mulch to retain moisture in the soil and keep weeds out. Water evenly and regularly to encourage growth, especially in dry summers. Harvest by cutting the bigger outer leaves as needed but avoid damaging the plant’s center and let the new growth mature and cut as needed again.

Uses:

stems and leaves of chard can be eaten cooked or raw

Rainbow chard is primarily used as a culinary leaf vegetable and salad green. Eaten both cooked and raw by removing the stems and using the leaves.  Chard high in vitamins A, C,  E and K. It also contains beta-carotene, fiber and the minerals manganese, zinc  and magnesium.

Origin:

All Chard descends from the sea beet, a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa.