What Is Chard

If you want to get a head start, however, you can start them indoors three to four weeks before the last frost date in your area.Swiss chard is also a popular fall crop. If you're planting directly in the soil, plant your seeds 3 inches (7.5 cm.) apart.

Ask at your nursery for the right product to use on chard. You can also use an insecticide to treat pest infestations.When you have sick Swiss chard, treatment may help but also may not be enough to save your plants.

The brilliant red stem enlivens the usually green palette of the garden.Chard plants with white stems abound, including Geneva, Lucullus, Winter King and Perpetual.For a little fun in the garden, choose one of the Rainbow mixes.

Chard “seeds,” like beet seeds, are actually small clusters containing several seeds. (-9 degrees C.). They will begin growing again the following spring, and you can enjoy early spring greens and a second summer's worth of leaves.

Harvesting chard is best done with a clean and sharp pair of garden scissors or a knife. Sever leaves at the base of the plant. So how and when is chard ready to pick?freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });Chard...

This is a great plant that will survive summer to produce new delicious leaves in fall or can be planted in two different seasons for harvests from spring to almost early winter. It also has numerous cultivars in various hues, making it an attractive...

These things all go well together on a winter Sunday dinner table with a good roast.Late in the fall when you want some swiss chard, harvesting it along with other winter vegetables for the Sunday table is a fresh way to serve your family a decent dinner.

The plant also prefers a shaded location.That said, like any plant, it will respond to additional nutrition. Swiss chard can get bitter when summer heat blazes, so be sure to give it plenty of water.

Planting companion plants for chard takes out some of the human involvement, allowing you to create a moreWhen choosing chard plant companions, consider that the green gets fairly large at maturity, which can crowd out smaller plants.

And, if all else fails, pull your bolted plants and add them to your compost pile. Always plant your chard after the last frost for this reason.You can also prevent chard plant bolting by protecting your plants from heat and drought.

Produce storage: Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use leaves as a spinach substitute in any recipe or sauteed in olive oil with a bit of garlic. Harvest outer leaves for summer-long harvests.

« More Farm Inspiration » Tags farm , farm inspiration , farmer , farmers , Maya Angelou quote We don't always achieve the highest stature in society. If you're not farming in the way that makes you happy, it's time to make a plan for change.

While Swiss chard is a great green for salads or a light saute, here are a few simple ways to use it that may not have crossed your mind. Growing and Harvesting Chard Swiss chard comes in two general varieties: The more traditional Swiss chard has a white...

Troubleshooting Cutworms can girdle seedlings, so be watchful when growing chard in spots recently vacated by grass. Position Sun or partial afternoon shade. Sow seeds 4 inches apart, and thin to proper spacing.

« More Farm Inspiration » Tags enthusiasm , farmers , farming , inspiration , passion Fortunately, I was blessed with a moment of respite last night. Do you ever take a step back from the hustle and bustle of the summer growing season and ask yourself,...

The simplest way is to dump soil right on top of your base material. However, unless you are building your huegel on top of a particularly pernicious grass, such as Bermuda, this step is not essential and you can build your bed directly on top of the...

(As was the imminent discovery that my car's driver's side door was frozen solid—it finally thawed Thursday morning, making for some interesting car entries in the early part of the week.) I begrudgingly scraped my car out of the ice and climbed in...

Lower potencies work as well as higher potencies, but they have to be administered more frequently. Complementary therapies are things like herbs, Reiki, massage, chiropractic adjustments and homeopathic remedies.

Take a sample of the plant to the doctor or veterinarian to aid in proper identification and diagnosis. Depression, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms winterberries produce in pets.

It may not necessarily be a concrete one, but where else do ideas begin if not with thoughts and dreams? The same goes for heirloom vegetable varieties or that redesigned compost pile : all of the hard work you put into farming stems from a dream, and...

Of course, none of the folks who are writing about it are sharing what plant this really is, so I went digging. I called Richo, and after he very kindly looked up his planting records, I asked him what first drew him to grow the plant.

This afternoon, while inspecting my late-summer garden, I came across several small, vividly colored insects on a winter squash blossom. But then I realized that these little nymphs were immature leaf-footed bugs , which aren't beneficial at all and are...

Swiss chard isn't only a delicious green to add to your dinner plate—it's also a beautiful plant to liven up the urban landscape. Use the greens or stalks as soon after harvest as possible to enjoy the best flavor in soups or a range of Mediterranean...

Swiss chard , however, is not a crop without pest troubles. While the tiny adult flies are very difficult to spot and identify, the squiggly lines their larvae leave behind are hard to miss.

Determining if the soil is frozen is paramount to your garden's success.Just walking across your soil or patting it with your hand will give away whether it is still frozen or not.

All chard seems to be manmade improvements upon the basic Sea Beet that grows wild all over Europe and the Mediterranean. Back in the States, I was a red wine vinegar user. Here in Italy, I grow more chard than ever, but the harvest procedure is the reverse,...

However, portions of the roots and stems can still be attacked, resulting in poor growth and reduced yields.freestar.queue.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-300x250-ATF-1"); });So what does damping off look like?