Swiss Chard Seeds - Rhubarb Chard

115 Seeds.

Other Names - Ruby Chard, Leaf Beet, Spinach Beet…

This is an excellent variety of swiss chard producing crimson red stems and dark green foliage with a good flavour. Rhubarb Chard can be harvested as a cut and come again over a long season supplying the salad bowl with beautiful tender red stemmed leaves. Or the plant can be left to grow larger when the leaves are best suited for cooking like spinach or adding to stir fries. A very hardy plant that can survive the winter and when spring arrives it bursts back into life producing an abundance of fresh spring leaves when little else is available.

• An attractive variety suitable for the flower borders as well as the vegetable plot.
• Ideal for containers and beginners.
• Award winner - RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Suitable For - Vegetable plot, raised beds, container garden, limited space

Sowing Months - March - early August

Harvest - May - December, March - May from an August sowing

Gardening is about finding the right balance! Try growing Companion Plants close by to help deter pests.

• Bush French beans and chard grow well together.
• Broccoli and chard next to each other also grow well.
• Brussels sprouts seem to grow better with smaller plants such as chard growing amongst them.
• Chard and cabbage are good companions.
• Comfrey leaves can be used to make a nutrient rich liquid fertilizer which is ideal for giving the leaves a boost. It can also be used as a compost accelerator, a slug repellent and a nutritional mulch.

Soil Preperation

Add well rotted manure or compost a few months before sowing or planting (ideally the previous autumn). Add some general purpose organic fertilizer 1 - 2 weeks before sowing or planting and remove any weeds.

Sowing Guide

Early Sowing/Module Sowing

Swiss chard grows well in clumps of plants. Sow 2 - 3 seeds per 4 cm module. As soon as germination starts reduce the heat and move to a location with good daylight exposure, a windowsill or greenhouse is ideal. Keep the compost moist but avoid overwatering. At this stage room temperature is ideal, protect from frost.
2 - 4 weeks after germination (depending on speed of growth) plant out. Harden off over 7 - 10 days before planting out to reduce shock. Plant out at the distance suggested above. Firm the soil around each clump of plants and water well.

Direct Sowing

Sow 1 seed every 3 cm at the depth and row distance suggested above. Cover the seeds with soil and water well. When the seedlings are big enough to handle they may need to be thinned depending on your preference. For small sized plants do not thin the seedlings. For medium sized plants thin to 10 - 15 cm apart. For large sized plants thin to 30 cm apart.

Growing On

Weed regularly to remove any competing plants. Water well every 10 - 14 days in dry spells (more often if grown in containers). They will benefit from a mulch of compost to help keep the soil moist on hot sunny days. Bolting is unlikely however if a plant does run to seed remove any flower heads and stems. When the weather cools in autumn growth will gradually slow down.
If the plants are grown outdoors and you wish to overwinter them, cover the plants in late autumn with a cloche to help prevent severe frosts killing the roots. Light picking can be done up until early to mid December.

Harvesting

Regular pickings will enable the plants to keep producing smaller juicy tender leaves. Harvest the outer leaves first, leaving the small young leaves in the middle to develop further for future pickings. Avoid tugging hard on the leaves when harvesting so not to disturb the roots. Use scissors or a sharp knife if preferred.
Chard leaves will grow large if allowed to, they are still edible at this stage however they will be tougher than baby leaves and are best cooked like spinach. A chard plant, if regularly picked, can produce leaves for up to 10 months. Leaves can be stored in a polythene bag in the fridge for 4 - 5 days.