I still have some rainbow chard seeds leftover but is it too late to sow them now for winter? In fact this year I buggered up my leeks and haven't been able to get plants so I am looking for other winter plants to grow. I already have sprouts and kale and will try to do lamb's lettuce and spinach and overwintering spring onions, but I was thinking that chard might be a good idea too, as it is pretty hardy. But maybe I am too late?
As I get an organic veg box too, I always get cabbage and other winter greens, turnip, celeriac, black radish etc, but wanted to fill part of the plot more than anything!
Plenty of time for Chard, Beetroot and Leaf Beet... :)
after reading this post iam off toget some rain bow chard seed wilkos here i come never grown it before can i start it off in mods in gh
Only planted mine out last week so only about 3 weeks in front of you
It's tough as old boots. I sow it all year round (except when there's snow!)
Sowed rhubarb chard and perpetual spinach yesterday.
I guess that's a yes then! I like rainbow chard, it's so pretty but I find it hard to get good plump stalks. I must give it more water perhaps...
water ,plenty
pick often ;D
sow now and next month too
Have a look at How to Grow Winter Vegetables, by Charles Dowding. Plenty of time!
My experience is that the bog standard spinach beet survives the winter, but the pretty ones often don't. Fortunately my standard spinach beet sows itself all over the place and I just have to move the seedlings into a row ready for the autumn.
Yes of course they don't grow much if at all over winter, but if they've reached a good size, you can eat the leaves. That's what I've found.
I don't get fat stalks from the coloured varieties, but some of the white chard gets fat stalks - the best bit for me! I'm saving seed from the fattest one this year.
I have put swiss chard transplants in the space left after clearing my broad beans. The swiss chard grew well and gave me a good crop before the inevitable early hard frost hit them. Maybe they would have survived to give a spring crop also if I had not ripped them out to plant brassicas.
Hmm maybe I should see if a neighbour has a few white chard seeds I could have? The rainbow one are pretty but I agree that the white is better eating.
Hi all, ;)
If you sow them around the end of July, they put on quite a bit of growth & then they will overwinter no problem. In the Spring they kick into growth & you can have several pickings before they run to seed, really good during the period when there is not much to pick ;D
Adrian.
I'll send you some antipodes - pm me your address. Unless you've already got some from the neighbours!