🥬 Chard
How to grow
Direct sow or transplant — chard is flexible, unlike its fussy beet cousins. Sow as soon as soil hits 50°F; it tolerates both cold and heat better than almost any green. In Florida, chard is one of the few greens that survives summer — plant in fall for winter harvest and let it ride through spring; 'Bright Lights' and 'Fordhook Giant' handle heat remarkably well. Up north, sow in spring and again in midsummer for fall. Like beets, each 'seed' is a cluster, so thin to one plant per spot. Chard is biennial — it grows leaves the first year and flowers the second — which means spring plantings rarely bolt, a rare gift among greens. Cut outer leaves and it keeps producing for months.
Water & feeding
About an inch a week; chard tolerates some drought but stays tender with steady moisture. Work 5-10% worm castings into the bed before planting — chard is a moderate feeder and castings give it everything it needs for months of cut-and-come-again harvest. A mid-season castings top-dress revives tired summer plants. Mulch to keep soil cool and reduce splash.
Common problems
- Leaf miners — the same pest as beets; squish larvae in the leaf or use row cover.
- Bolting in extreme heat — choose heat-tolerant varieties; even bolted chard leaves stay edible longer than most greens.
- Slugs in wet weather — iron phosphate bait, or mulch with coarse material they hate crossing.
Harvest
Snap or cut outer leaves when they're 8-10 inches tall, always leaving the center growing point intact. Harvest from the outside in and the plant produces for months — one planting can feed you from spring to hard freeze. Young leaves eat raw like spinach; mature leaves cook like collards; the crunchy stems sauté like asparagus.