How And When to Plant Swiss Chard

There are plants that provide different nutrients to the daily diet of each person, for this reason they should not be missing in some gardens. Swiss chard is a vegetable with different properties and nutrients beneficial to health. This is reason enough to learn how and when it should be planted.

Actually, chard is a vegetable that has a history coming from the Mediterranean. Its antiquity dates even from before Christ, where its leaves were used both for meals or medicinally. Its legacy is also part of the reasons why you can learn about its cultivation.

From salads to the finest dishes use chard as one of its ingredients, to give it an indisputable flavor. This accompanied by its vitamins (such as C) and minerals (such as calcium, potassium and sodium) make it a favorite in many preparations. In addition, well refrigerated can stay fresh for a long time, retaining each of its properties.

What do you need for and when to plant chard?

• Chard seeds or plants
• Nutrient-rich soil
• Space
• Sun and water
• Tools for working the land: small shovel and remover.

Instructions for and when to plant Swiss chard

1. Plantation. One of the main advantages of Swiss chard is that it adapts very well to different temperatures, with the exception of sub-zero. For this reason, it can be planted at different times of the year, with summer and autumn being the most ideal.
2. The idea is to achieve a constant temperature, it can go between 6 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees. What should be avoided is that it changes constantly, because the plant must get used to a temperate environment. If there are many variations in the surrounding climate there may be a risk that it will not develop properly.
3. Another part that you should consider when sowing is that it can be done both from the seed (soaking it previously for two or three days) and from a previous germination (seedling) small. The most common is that the first method is used, keeping track of the spaces left between each floor.
4. A lot of space on earth. Swiss chard can be planted both directly in the ground, as well as pots or seedlings. The main thing when doing so is the space of depth that you have to establish your roots, since they grow to a large extent.
5. For its good development it is necessary to try to leave spaces between each plant of between 15 and 30 centimeters in length, depending on the place. It is also vital that they are not placed near other vegetables, because they tend to affect their growth in search of a greater coverage area.
6. The soil to plant chard must provide different nutrients since this plant knows how to take advantage of them for its good progress. The pH of the soil must be close to 6.5 to maintain vitality and each seed can germinate in several plants, of which the one that is in better condition will be used.
7. The sun is important. For Swiss chard the best is sunlight. You have to know how to take advantage of this faculty since in this way they develop with better health. Likewise, its growth is highly favored thanks to the rays that this star emits.
8. This vegetable can also develop in shaded areas, as long as there is not a large amount of cold. But ultimately what mostly suits them is the abundant sun.
9. Don’t forget the water. The best way for this plant to absorb nutrients from the soil to a large extent is through water. The drainage of it is essential since, as mentioned above, its roots grow in lengths of up to 90 centimeters. For this reason, it is best to get the liquid to spread completely through them.
10. The soil must be constantly moist, but without saturation. For this, the earth must be raked on different occasions so that water can flow through it. Watering should be done once a day, measuring the amount of water so as not to overflow the plant.
11. It is also necessary to take into account the climate that surrounds the chard, since the amount of water can vary depending on the heat in the environment. If the temperature is not very high with two or three times a week will be enough to motivate your life and development.
12. It is very resistant. As a fifth step, when learning how and when to plant chard, is to take into account its resistance. It does not need great or detailed care since it can survive elements such as pests or diseases.
13. Keep in mind. Despite its resistance, it must be borne in mind that it cannot be neglected. The first thing is to eliminate weeds, which come out around the plant, for a long time. This care is reduced as the chard grows stronger.
14. You also have to be careful with the appearance of slugs or snails since these animals can completely destroy the crop in a very short time. To prevent these pests, you can place different traps, as well as repellents. There are also other insects such as aphids, flies, or spider mites that can represent a nightmare if they are not detected and eliminated in time.
15. To strengthen their care, you can also consider the use of fertilizer with plenty of nitrogen. This product will help avoid diseases such as leaf spot, one of the most common in this type of vegetables despite its resistance.
16. Stem and leaves. Finally, the last step to sow chard successfully is its cultivation. Its collection will begin after 60 days from its planting and will depend on the size of the plant. After this they can be collected in periods of fifteen days, approximately.
17. It should be remembered that this plant does not have precise fruits, so its leaves and stems are used for consumption. The idea is to observe when the leaves have a size of about 18 or 20 centimeters and from there collect them. To do this, you have to pluck the leaves that are in the outermost part of the plant, taking care not to touch those closest to the center since from there they continue with their growth.
18. Finally, after harvesting, they can be washed and stored, trying to remove excess moisture. Its duration will be very varied, depending on the refrigeration, but they can reach up to ten days.

Tips for and when to plant Swiss chard

Keep in mind as a last tip that chard gets along well with plants such as garlic, lettuce, parsley or cabbage, so you can complement your planting with these plants. Also, for high temperatures it is good to place them with corn or sunflowers that provide shades protecting them naturally from the heat.

Swiss chard is a really noble plant that can be an excellent start for those who are interested in crops. Planting this plant brings many benefits and one of the main ones is to have a quality ingredient for different daily meals.