Swiss chard

[Squashmad]

Is it too late to sow swiss chard?

[Squashmad]

[ALAN HOWELL]

well,I am about to put  3 young plants in within the next 3-4 days,hopefully they will make enough growth for a dinner or two.Nothing ventured,nothing gained.I will cover them with fleece when there is a threat of frost. ;)....Alan

[Mrs Ava]

I will be sowing a few at the end of this week, along with spinach.

[tim]

A third of our April sowing has gone to seed. First time that that has ever happened.

Along with all our flat-leaved parsley. What's up??

[Squashmad]

Thanks all - I will give it a try probably in the polytunnel. Can't wait to have swiss chard and cheddar tart again.  :P

[Doris_Pinks]

Tim mine has gone to seed too.....never had that happen this early!

[Derekthefox]

I was disappointed with the flavour of my rainbow chard, but only really tried it stir fried. I think I should have been more imaginative, the sound of a cheesy tart sounds delicious, and definitely my sort of food, well most food is my sort of food really.  ;D

Derekthefox :D

[Squashmad]

Do try it in a tart Derek its delicious - just briefly steam then chop and squeeze out liquid - put in base of pastry cases (add a pinch of chilli and a little finely grated parmesan to pastry mix) - and top with grated cheddar then the usual egg/milk mix and in the oven - perfect if you roast a dish of cherry toms at the same time to serve with the tarts.  :D

[Derekthefox]

Thank you Squashmad !

With all these wonderful recipes I am picking up, I will be getting back to my old rolypoly self ... he he he

Derekthefox :D

[john_miller]

A third of our April sowing has gone to seed. First time that that has ever happened.

Along with all our flat-leaved parsley. What's up??

Too much heat?

[chrispea27]

does anybody use chard as a decorative foliage plant in pots in winter looks great particulaaly the 'bright lights' variety ;D

[Mrs Ava]

oooooo, Tim, I will send you a lorry load of flat leaf parsley...grew it on your recommendation, and have MASSES!  What am I going to do with it all?

[Hyacinth]

A third of our April sowing has gone to seed. First time that that has ever happened.

Along with all our flat-leaved parsley. What's up??

Too much heat?

Tim, John, Everyone! I just don't know..................things ain't behaving like they should.........

Chard?? Oh, such a disappointment..............haven't harvested anything from this season's sowing....6 plants which are  surviving (just)...from the spring...WHY???  I'm not exactly a novice in growing the stuff....so what's going on??

Parsley!!! Curly parsley (nothing too fancy for my old ladies -  English Parsley, right??)....OK we all know...goes to seed in the 2nd year.............WRONG!!!!  It's not even gone to seed, just started withering away and dying NOW (1st year?)...

WHY????

Lishka

[flowerlady]

I wouldn't want to upset anybody ...

but as a really late starter thought I would have a go with Rainbow Chard, sewn 22nd July.

and now I have a WHOLE ROW of the stuff, all about 12" tall  ;D

but how big will it grow, is there an optimum time to pick it? 

Does it get tough and too strong in flavour after a while?

[Mrs Ava]

Mine is growing great also flowerlady!  Lovely stuff that chard.  Pick it as you want it.  The young tender central leaves are delicious raw in salads, or briefly steamed or stirfried, whilst the larger courser leaves can be treated as 2 veggies with the main rib being one, yummy steamed until tender then served with a dollop of butter or a sauce (cheese works well!) then the greens as a seperate veg!  I have been picking mine as I need it for weeks and weeks now as daughter number one has discovered she loves the main rib!

[tim]

As EJ says - pick as you wish for different purposes. And keep it well picked to prevent it getting coarse & to encourage new growth. The stems should break easily & be tender enough to cook. But do NOT take out more than 2/3rds of the leaves. And, obviously, not ALL of the young ones, or you won't have any big ones!

But it CAN grow this big & still be tender.

[BAGGY]

Flippin' 'eck Tim.  What variety is that ?  My bright lights bolted this year and I am out of seed so will do a different one next year for a change.  Any ideas welcome.

[Trenchboy]

Tekkie question.

Does the leaf have oxalic acid in it as per spinach?

[tim]

Trenchboy - http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/nightshade.htm is interesting?? But there is no need for chard to be astringent.

Alishka - don't know.

Flowerlady - we've been picking this for a month. Just picked for 4 of us. See pic.

Baggy -  that is 'Swiss Chard' donated by a neighbour. Personally, I would stick to Bright Lights.

[Looby Loo]

We're complete novices but our swiss chard has done marvelously well, perhaps the allotment Gods smile sweetly on the newbies then? :) We just chucked a couple of rows in, seemed like no time at all had passed and we were havesting it. Been eating just about everyday since!

All in all I think it is my favourite veg at the minute, well it will be until the purple sprouting starts, blimey I'm looking forward to that.

And just to second using the rainbow variety, such a beautiful thing on the plate, lovely and tender and full of flavour. Absolutely gorgeous in a frittata, with new pots, courgettes and well whatever else you have at hand.