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Bought a potful of rainbow chard at Gardeners' World Live and don't know anything about it!  Have looked in my book but cant find any info.  I've planted it in clumps in my raised bed but am now worried I might not have given it enough room - planted about 8" apart.  Is this OK?   ???  Also, when do I harvest it - how big do the leaves need to be?  And when will it grow until? Help!!!

PS:  Makes mental note not to by things on inpulse when I have no idea what to do with them!

I grow my chard about 12 inches apart as they can make big butch plants, but I'm sure 8 inches is fine.  You can start to use the leaves as soon as they are, well, useable!  The small baby leaves are tasty raw, then the intermediate leaves are great steamed, and the whopper leaves you can remove the thick stem and ribs, cook them almost as a seperate veg, and use the leaves as you would any other green leaf veg!  Great in quiches, pasta, stuffings, salads, stir fried, deep fried like chinese seaweed, used as a wrap for dolmades for example, or just steamed/boiled and eaten with good gravy!  My seedlings went in about 6 weeks ago, and I have just sowed some more, but I am already pinching a few tiny leaves for my salads.

Does chard fit in with the cabbage group of plants or is it classed as a lettuce  i.e. outside rotation.  ?

Thanks EJ - also just saw the thread re spinach and chard on the recipe board which has given me some ideas.  Like the idea of dolmades. 

Do you know how long the chard will last for, and will it keep coming again after I've picked the leaves?

I have only just pulled out my chard from last springs sowing/planting as I wanted to refresh with new plants.  Can stay put for at least a year, even when it starts to flower, you can harvest wonderfully tender baby leaves up the flowering stem!

No idea on rotation....sssshhhh....don't tell anyone, but my rotation is vague at the best of times!  :-\

"Other". It is a type of beet however, not lettuce, so , if you are unlucky enough to have a pathogen of beets, yes, there are some, in your garden, you may have problems growing it.

Thanks for that guys and gals.  Will have to give some a go- I supopse next question therefore is it to late to plant the seed this year?

I've kept this one as an ornamental, sown last summer, now almost 6ft and still growing!  :)    Not at all keen on the taste, but will grow some again as ornamentals, as I just love the structure and colour of the plants.

Thanks for the photo MagpieD - at least now I know what the chard will look like when it gets going.  :)

Not to late to sow.  Just done a tray myself for planting out once the spuds have all been scoffed!  ;D

Emma - do you pick yours through the winter? Is it protected?

Thanks Emma,  will get some seeds and have a go.  Iain

Lottie next to ours had his chard unprotected all winter/spring - and had a lovely crop - I planted seeds a couple of weeks ago for winter pickings.

Sorry for delay in replying Tim, just spotting your question.  Yup, I do pick through the winter, I don't strip the plants, but just take a few leaves as and when I want them.  No, the plants were not protected and looked proud and colourful all through the winter, but don't forget, Essex is practically a desert, and my plot in incredibly sheltered and mild.