Harvesting Chard How And When To Harvest Swiss Chard Plants

Harvest Swiss chard when the leaves are tender and big enough to eat. Swiss chard is ready for picking 30 days after sowing if you want baby leaves. Harvest chard 45 to 60 days after sowing if you want full-sized leaves with a thick midrib.

How do you pick chard so it keeps growing?

The most common method for how to pick chard is to cut off the outer leaves 1 ½ to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm.) above the ground while they are young and tender (about 8 to 12 inches (20.5 to 30.5 cm.) long). Older leaves are often stripped off the plants and discarded to allow the young leaves to continue to grow.

Does Swiss chard grow back after cutting?

Chard is best treated as a “cut-and-come-again” crop. This harvesting technique involves taking only a few older leaves at a time from each plant, allowing younger leaves to continue growing for additional harvests later in the season.

How do you harvest Swiss chard without killing the plant?

Either cut or break a few stalks from each plant. This is more appropriate when you have less growing space available and want to harvest chard without killing it. The plant keeps growing and you can continue to pick it.

Does Swiss chard grow back every year?

Chard is a biennial plant, meaning it has a two year life cycle, but it is cultivated as an annual in the vegetable garden and harvested in its first season of growth. Once it begins to flower and set seed in its second year, its leaves turn bitter and unpalatable.

Which is healthier kale or Swiss chard?

As you can see in the chart above, kale does exceed the other greens in vitamins A and C, but Swiss chard has 16 percent more iron than kale. ... All four types of greens are also rich in many other nutrients, including manganese, folate, copper, choline, magnesium, potassium and vitamins E, K, B2 and B6.

Is Swiss chard a Superfood?

Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse -- an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

Can you eat chard raw?

Swiss chard leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw Swiss chard is less bitter than cooked. ... Sauté, steam or cook the stalks in a pan with water (1/2 cup per bunch) first, then add the leaves and cook until wilted.

What can you not plant with Swiss chard?

Plants to Avoid

Chard is not a fan of most herbs with the exception of mint. These two make great garden buddies. Chard also shouldn't be planted near potatoes, corn, cucumbers, or melons. All of these will either compete for soil nutrients or foster harmful pests.

Does Swiss chard need a lot of water?

Like all vegetables, Swiss chard does best with a nice, even supply of water. Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it doesn't rain.

How do I know when Swiss chard is ready to pick?

Harvest Swiss chard when the leaves are tender and big enough to eat. Swiss chard is ready for picking 30 days after sowing if you want baby leaves. Harvest chard 45 to 60 days after sowing if you want full-sized leaves with a thick midrib.

Can you grow Swiss chard in a container?

Swiss chard container gardening can be done with just chard or in combination with other plants. Swiss chard can also be grown in a pot indoors during the colder months for a constant supply of nutritious greens. It is very easy to grow and tolerates poor soil, negligence on your part and is frost hardy.

What can I do with Swiss chard from the garden?

Use swiss chard in your favorite recipes.

Use it in smoothies. Chop it up (remove stems if you prefer) and use it like kale in smoothies.
Add it to soups and stews. Swiss chard holds it shape well when cooked and adds a nutritious boost.
Roast it with your favorite root vegetables.

Is chard annual or perennial?

Swiss chard is an annual leafy crop and the leaves and petioles (leaf stalks) may be eaten. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable and the leaves are poisonous; we only eat the petioles.

How late can you plant Swiss chard?

The best time for Swiss chard fall planting is July 15 through August 15. The exact time will depend on your zone. Areas that expect early freezes should plant earlier and use a hoop house to give the developing plants some shade and keep them from bolting. You may also select a low bolt seed mix.

Does Swiss chard need full sun?

Swiss chard prefers rich, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. In the North, sow from early spring to midsummer for a fall crop; in the South sow in fall to spring. Sow the seeds 1/2 inch deep in rows spaced 18 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 12 inches apart when they are large enough to handle.

Which is healthier spinach or swiss chard?

Spinach comes out on top, compared to Swiss chard, in a number of nutritional components. Among them are calcium, with 1 cup of cooked spinach offering 24 percent DV compared to Swiss chard's 10 percent. ... Spinach also provides more riboflavin, zinc and manganese and a small amount of omega-3 fat.

Is Swiss chard healthier cooked or raw?

In its raw form, it is a good source of vitamin C. Note that the above values are for cooked Swiss chard. Like many leafy greens, Swiss chard shrinks drastically when cooked, so 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard will contain much more nutrition than 1 cup of raw Swiss chard.

What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world?

The 11 Most Nutrient-Dense Foods on the Planet

Salmon. Not all fish is created equal. ...
Kale. Of all the healthy leafy greens, kale is the king. ...
Seaweed. The sea has more than just fish. ...
Garlic. Garlic really is an amazing ingredient. ...
Shellfish. Many sea animals are high in nutrients, but shellfish may be among the most nutritious of all. ...
Potatoes. ...
Liver. ...
Sardines.

Can you eat Swiss chard everyday?

Chard contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A. This vegetable can help to combat cancer, reduce blood pressure, and enhance performance in sports. Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked.

How do you make Swiss chard not bitter?

6 Answers

Use older chard, which tends to be markedly less bitter than the young chard you're using;
Avoid bringing out the bitterness, by cooking at lower heat;
Mute any remaining bitterness with salt, which is pretty common for leafy greens.

Is Swiss chard high in iron?

This green is not only loaded with nutrients but also extremely low in calories, making it a weight-loss-friendly food. Swiss chard is a low-calorie vegetable that is high in magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, C and K.