swiss chard growing indoors

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. Not only is Swiss chard beautiful, but it can be used fresh or cooked.

Can Swiss chard be grown in pots?

Choosing a Container

Swiss chard doesn't have deep roots, so the container that you select doesn't need to be too deep. Eight inches should be plenty. ... A five-gallon container – per plant – is ideal. If you don't mind smaller leaves and stems you can grow two plants in a five-gallon pot.

Can you grow Swiss chard in the winter?

Swiss chard not only grows well in the hot temperatures of summer, but it also tolerates frost. In fact, chard may actually taste better when it's grown in cold weather. However, plants will be killed by temperatures below 15 degrees F.

Does Swiss chard regrow 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.

Does Swiss chard come 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.

What is a good companion plant for Swiss chard?

Swiss chard – Beans, Brassicas, and onions make the best companions for chard. Thyme – An all around beneficial plant for the garden, thyme is particularly worth planting near Brassicas (as it repels cabbage moths), and strawberries, as it enhances flavour.

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.

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.

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.

Can you eat chard raw?

Swiss chard leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw Swiss chard is less bitter than cooked. A bunch of raw Swiss chard will cook to a much smaller amount. ... 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.

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.

How many times can you harvest Swiss chard?

Swiss chard can be continually harvested throughout the season. Harvest the outer leaves at the base of the stalk, leaving four to five inner leaves to continue growing. Swiss chard can also be harvested in closer plantings as baby greens, cutting the leaves about 3 inches above the soil and returning every week or so.

Can Swiss chard get too big?

If you water them enough, Swiss chard can grow up to be two feet tall! If you harvest them when the leaves are smaller, they will keep producing more leaves like cut-and-come again salad greens.

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.

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. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge in the garden.

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.

What vegetables should not be planted next to each other?

Other commonly believed plant incompatibilities include the following plants to avoid near one another:

Mint and onions where asparagus is growing.
Pole beans and mustard near beets.
Anise and dill neighboring carrots.
Cucumber, pumpkin, radish, sunflower, squash or tomatoes close to potato hills.

Does Swiss chard like shade?

Swiss Chard

Among vegetables, leafy greens are the most tolerant of shade, including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula and chard. Related to both beets and spinach, Swiss chard tastes a little like both and is fairly easy to grow.

How many tomato plants can I grow in a 4x4 raised bed?

A 4'x4' raised bed can accommodate 4 or 5 tomato plants. For USDA zones with longer growing seasons, & for indeterminate tomato varieties, only 2 or 3 tomato plants might fit in a 4'x'4' raised bed.

Can you eat chard with powdery mildew?

Soaking leaves in hydrogen peroxide will kill powdery mildew. However, I would not recommend eating leaves with powdery mildew on them. Powdery mildew is not toxic to humans, but fungi cause allergic reactions in some people.

What temperature can Swiss chard tolerate?

Swiss chard is a biennial that grows as an annual in all temperate zones. It's hardy to approximately 15°F, but while it does best in cool temperatures, it can tolerate heat with adequate watering.

How do you harvest Swiss chard so it keeps growing?

Cut chard with garden scissors or serrated bread knife. Cut chard leaf by leaf—cut the outer leaves first allowing the inner leaves to grow larger–or cut away the whole plant one inch (2.5 cm) above the soil. Either way, the plant will keep producing new leaves.