Swiss chard



Swiss chard is a wonderful crop to grow - it's easy, undemanding and stands over winter, getting into growth as spring begins.  The plant in the photo was sown last August, and I've been eating it for weeks. I cook it like spinach, and particularly like it in an omelette or fritatta,

Chard a member of the beet family and is biennial.  A large taproot maintains it through the winter, and it goes to seed in early summer.  I prefer types with white midribs, but recently I picked up a free packet of 'Bright Lights' with a mixture of red, yellow and white midribs.  It's harder to find the white varieties these days!  It can be sown from March to September. I've just sown some, a few in a small pot.  When they've germinated and produces few true leaves I'll plant the whole pots in the ground, weeding out weaker plants to leave the strongest one to grow on.  

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